Vio's Shadow
by Quomimi
Summary: Vio and Shadow Link's relationship was cut short when Shadow dissolved right in Vio's arms from being in the light... But what if he didn't actually die? What if faking his death was all a part of their plan from the beginning? And the important question is: Is Vio truly good or evil? (Changed rating to T just in case x3) (Ps I don't own LOZ! :3)
1. Chapter 1 - Starting Out

**Author's Note - Hey everyone! I'm Quomimi, and this is my very first story here! :D I'm super excited to let you all see it, but honestly quite nervous. I hope you enjoy this story as much as you can, but go easy on me what with this being my first ever story posted here. ^_^ I'll keep this story going until the end for sure, half for your entertainment and half for mine. Enjoy the story, and criticism is like SOOOOO welcome! :D Now go read, READ! c:**

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Green rested his hands on the wooden railing, looking out at the field before him. A soft breeze blew his blonde hair in front of his eyes, but he didn't mind. He was just glad the monsters that once plagued these fields was replaced with peaceful hills. It had been just two months since the four of them, Green, Red, Blue, and Vio, drove back the dark forces that threatened to destroy Hyrule and it's people. The four of them set out on an adventure to bring peace back to the land they love. The start of the adventure was the worst for sure. Green not only had to get used to being called 'Green' rather than 'Link', his real name, but he had to get used to working with three other guys that looked exactly like him.

Green smiled softly at the thought of this. While their start was rough, he had gotten used to the three Links that came from the Four Sword. He really started to see them as brothers. He was secretly glad to have them around so often now in fear of being left alone when the Four Sword was placed back in it's pedestal. But Green wouldn't let himself rest on that thought; the four of them still had awhile before needing to put the sword back. Princess Zelda decided that the four Links should keep the sword for at least a year or so after the battle with Vaati in case he somehow managed to return to wreck havoc again.

Orange rays pierced his blue eyes. Green squinted and looked up, realizing that the sun was hanging low in the sky. Had he really spent all that time outside? He turned around and returned to the house. A small thing really, but cozy enough to feel just like the home he had in Castle Town. Stepping inside, he could hear rustling and stomping throughout the kitchen. _Sounds like Red and Blue are trying to fix dinner again_, Green thought with a grin. Checking the clock on the wall that read 6:34, Green realized that Father would be coming home soon.

Excited to help, Green entered the kitchen to see quite a mess. Blue was frying what looked like a black-brown pulp while Red was murdering a stalk of onion. Vio was standing over a cook book reading directions to the pair. Green walked to stand by Vio and read what the lot of them were fussing over.

"Vegetable and Steak Dinner?" Green recited, looking over at Vio. He grinned.

"Red figured we ought to try this again," Vio said, looking down at the paragraphs. "Red, did you chop the onions?"

"Uhhh," Red started, looking down at his chopped mess. "Yeah, pretty much!" He finished uncertainly. Vio turned around and looked at Red's chopping job, and decided that it was acceptable.

"Ok, could you start on the potatoes?" Vio asked and turned towards Blue. As he walked to stand by him, he tripped slightly. Vio recovered swiftly, allowing hardly anyone to notice, and stood by Blue with a frown on his face. "How are the steaks?"

"Great!" Blue grinned, obviously not noticing Vio's slip, and flipped the charred piece of beef. Vio scowled, but shrugged. He returned to the book, seeing that most of it was done, and closed it.

Soon, Father was home, and dinner was on the table. It was gone far quicker than it had been made, and before they knew it, night had taken over. Red yawned as he marched up the stairs.

"Gosh, I'm sooooooo tired!" He said, Blue trailing him and Green right behind Blue.

"Aw, stop whining you big baby!" Blue said, playfully bumping into him. Red snickered and Green smiled. It was nice to see them get along these days. During their journey, Blue had always been a bully to Red. But after their hardships, they have developed a strong friendship.

The three entered the bedroom where four beds sat. They went to their beds and took their hats and boots off. Noticing the empty bed, Green began wondering where Vio was.

"Hey, where's Vio?" He voiced his thoughts to the others.

"I think he's in the bathroom." Blue told Green. Green nodded, and got under the blankets, ready for sleep.

But Vio wasn't in the bathroom.

Outside, Vio stepped out onto the grass. Looking up at the sky, he saw that the moon was full. Perfect, he thought. Vio went to his regular place behind the trees surrounding the west side of their small house. The trees concealed a small clearing where he sat, and looked down, staring at his shadow. The silhouette of his likeness shown on the moonlit grass.

"Hey," Vio said, seemingly to his shadow. An odd thing happened then. His shadow began to move, but Vio was standing still. His shadow then rose from the ground and formed into a human like shape - one that looked exactly like Vio, but darker.

"Hey!" The shadow laughed in a seemingly evil way. He floated in the air, his legs crossed, and eyes unusually bright for a shadow.

"Ahh, it's great to be outta there! Did you know how stiff you walk? Loosen up, it's tougher to follow you." He said, stretching his arms. Vio smirked at his words.

"Like it matters, no one's noticed," Vio replied, sitting back on a stump and crossing his legs like the shadow's.

"Yeah, I guess," Shadow Link placed his hands behind his head nonchalantly with a devilish grin. "The plan is going perfectly."


	2. Chapter 2 - Spring Tripping

**Author's Note - I'd like to give a mighty thanks to everyone who even considered to read this story of mine. It means a great deal to me! :) I'd also like to thank the people that have followed my story. You guys are great! :D So I hope you all continue to read this story as the plot thickens! cx **

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Back in the house, Green had his head rested on the pillow, but he was far from sleep. _In the bathroom he thought_, and huffed. He had heard that many times. That, and 'cleaning the plates', 'washing the table', and 'checking on Father'. He knew that Vio wasn't doing any of those things... But what he was doing was still a mystery to him. All he really knew was that Vio was lying. No one took hours in the bathroom or washing a single table. And that when he would come in, it was long after Red and Blue were asleep. I wonder what he really does... Green's thoughts were running wild with ideas.

But the last of them was that Vio was secretly helping Shadow Link with their plan.

Outside, Vio sat while listening to the wind whip the leaves in the trees and the crickets sing their song. And Shadow Link babbling.

"I'm surprised we made it to two whole months and those stupid 'heroes' haven't found out about me yet!" Shadow Link laughed, floating in the tree. "Well, that red one has always been slow, and the blue one is thicker than a boulder..." Vio pulled is fingers into a clenched fist at these words, but held his tongue. "The true Link worries me, though." Shadow Link finished with a tone of seriousness in his voice. Vio looked up at Shadow Link with a small smile.

"Green won't notice. He doesn't have an eye for detail," Vio said reassuringly. Shadow Link snickered at this, and floated down to stand. A note of silence fell between the two.

"We should head back, your friends will start to notice your absence," Shadow Link said finally. There seemed to be a small hint of regret in his voice. Vio knew that Shadow Link, though he had worked for Vaati and Ganon, was a Link himself, and had some (however small it was) spirit of the Hero. So he too felt the longing that was more concentrated in Green of wanting friends. He too wanted to never feel alone. Stuck inside Vio's shadow all day lets him see the four heroes, but never speak to them. He can watch them run and play, but never run and play with them.

"You're right," Vio said, clearing his head of the thoughts. He stood upright and looked at Shadow Link. "See you tomorrow night." Shadow Link grinned evilly.

"Or sooner," He said. These words were greeted with a look of confusion from Vio, making Shadow Link laugh. "I'll trip you again when I need to talk to you." Vio nodded, and Shadow Link returned to Vio's shadow. The shadow snickered slightly while Vio was standing still, making him smile softly.

Vio walked back into the house quietly and up the stairs. Blue's snores and Red's soft whistling through his nose swirled in the room as he entered. As usual, Green was silent, his head turned away from Vio. He gave a quiet sigh and sat on his bed, removing his boots and hat. He looked down at his feet, then eventually to his shadow. Though Vio was looking down, his shadow had a turned head, looking right at Green.

_Don't worry about it_, Vio thought to himself. Another voice seemed to answer _Fine_. Vio crawled under the blankets, exhausted, and quickly fell asleep.

"...-o..."

"...-io..!"

"... Vio..!"

"... Vio! Vio, wake up!" Vio's weary eyes peeled open to see bright sunlight dancing in his eyes. A red shape began to form before him, and Red's face started to clear before him. It was almost as bright at the sunlight.

"Huh? What...?" Vio mumbled, sitting up.

"Vio, you should see it! The streets-" Red broke off as sounds of horns laughter came to Vio's ears. Red left the room in a hurry, eager to get outside.

Vio got his boots and hat back on and stepped outside to see what he was so excited about. People wearing nearly all shades of green and blue were walking down the street. Several of them were singing and dancing, laughing and skipping. All of them held flowers.

Red stood outside the house along with Green and Blue, all looking out at the parade. Vio's foot on the wood caused it to creak, making the three turn towards him. "Vio, there you are!" Red said with a wide grin.

"Look, the Spring Festival is today! We should go into Castle Town!" He said excitedly.

"The Spring Festival?" Vio echoed. The Spring Festival was a parade thrown by nearly every town in Hyrule. It was a celebration for the coming of Spring and new crops. People would throw flower petals and small pieces of candy for the children. Vio suddenly remembered Red talking about this at the dinner table last night, and how excited he was. How could he have forgotten?

"Yeah, we should go!" Red said to the three of them.

"I don't see why not," Blue said nonchalantly, but is eyes seemed to glimmer with excitement and interest.

"It could be fun," Green agreed, smiling at the two. Suddenly, three pairs of eyes rested on Vio. They were waiting for his decision.

_I'll trip you again when I need to talk to you._ Shadow Link's words echoed in his head. What if he needs to speak with Vio when they are in town? A flash of worry sparked in his chest, and it must have shown on his face, because Green's eyes narrowed slightly. _I can't give him a reason to doubt me_. Vio decided, and erased the worry from his face.

"Sure, let's go," Vio said finally. Red's grin grew wider and ran around to the stables. Green's narrowed eyes lingered for a moment before Blue pulled him away towards the stables as well. Vio followed to see Red already on a brown horse and Blue and Green in the stables.

"I don't think one horse can hold us all," Red started, looking at them, "So we should probably go in pairs."

"Alright," Green nodded, and hopped on another brown horse. "Blue, you go with Red so he knows where he's going."

"Hey, I know the way to Castle Town!" Red huffed. "I think."

"That's why I'm going with you," Blue grumbled as he got on the horse with Red.

"So Vio, you'll come with me," Green said, turning to Vio. _Great_, Vio thought with a small frown. He joined Green on the horse as Red and Blue bounded off quickly making Blue angrily (and loudly) scold him for going so fast. He saw Green's cheeks pull into a smile as they rode off at a more slower and safer pace towards the parade in Castle Town.

Vio tried to keep the silence between them resolute as they made their way down the well- trodden path to Castle Town, but Green broke it fairly quickly.

"Red seems really excited," He said to Vio. "You should have heard him last night, he wouldn't stop talking about it," Green said, looking ahead. Vio felt a small cold sweat on his neck.

"I didn't find it so distracting," Vio said in a monotonous voice.

"Yeah, because you weren't there," Green replied. Vio could have sworn he heard a hint of a growl in his voice. He swallowed a lump in his throat. "So I was wondering, what exactly do you do at night?" Green finished, turning his head slightly as to more direct the question towards Vio. His mind raced for an answer.

_Say you go for a night time stroll... Say it casually, like it's not a difficult question. _ A small voice seemed to say in Vio's head. He turned to look down at his shadow, seeing his and Green's, but only Vio's gave a small nod.

"I take walks outside," Vio said back to Green, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal like Shadow Link suggested. "I've been studying plants that prefer the dim light from the moon rather than harsh rays of the sun." Vio finished. It was half true; Vio did go for strolls outside, but they were more serious than leisurely walks. Green greeted this with silence before laughing.

"Just walks, huh?" He said cheerily. "I'd thought you were doing something far worse. I guess that shows how creative my imagination is!" Green smiled again.

"Really?" Vio tried to smile as well, but it was slightly crooked. "Like what?" He needed to know if Green was suspecting him of anything.

Green had stopped laughing. Silence again. But Green was spared of giving an answer when they passed through the town gates to Castle Town.

Loud bursts of laughter and singing came from the central square. The houses had flower pots lined outside as if to signal that they too were happy spring was coming. Green smiled at this, but Vio couldn't bring himself to. What was Green suspecting of him? What did he think he was doing? Did he even know about Shadow Link..?

Vio couldn't let himself think about this for long because he knew that the worry would present itself on his face again, alerting Green and anyone else he saw. _It's the Spring Festival. It's a bright new day. Focus on that. _

Green and Vio met with Red and Blue pretty quickly. Red was excitedly talking to the people in the town square, and Blue was trailing behind him so he wouldn't get lost. Soon Green and Vio were following too.

Vio met several interesting people in the square. A man with a beard that went to his knees offered them candy that tasted a bit too hairy than sweet, a beautiful lady captured Red's attention quickly and Blue had to drag him away, and a young boy who was constantly blowing his horn in the same three note tune. They wandered around talking to new people until Blue spoke up.

"Hey, I'll bet Zelda is free today!" He said to the others. One could clearly see the light that came to Green's eyes that only a mere mention of Zelda could put there. It was obvious how happy she made him feel. While the other three Links loved Zelda as well, it seemed the feeling was stronger in Green.

"We should find her and take her out to the meadow and pick wild flowers!" Red said excitedly, looking at Green as if to confirm his suggestion. "Remember before? When we would pick them for her? I'll bet she'd love to see them in person!" Green nodded.

"Yeah, let's go find her!" Green replied enthusiastically. Vio nodded in agreement, feeling the excitement the others shared in seeing Zelda. The four of them took off towards the castle that was the high point of the town, eager to see their princess.

That's when Vio tripped.


	3. Chapter 3 - More Lies

**Author's Note- Look, chapter 3! o: I hope you guys and gals enjoy this addition, it took me a bit to write. The plot thickens EVEN more! cx **

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Tripping took him by such a surprise that Vio fell stumbled quite a bit before winning back control of his legs. He could feel the sweat beads appear on his temple, and he looked down ever so slightly to see his shadow. _Now? _He thought in an almost pleading tone. His shadow nodded.

"Vio?" Blue said, alerting the other two to him. "You ok there?" Vio gulped. What was he supposed to tell them? What good reason did he have to leave them and Zelda?

"Uh, yeah, I-" Vio stuttered, regaining his balance. "I'm fine, I just-" He turned behind him, trying to think of some reason to get away and talk to Shadow Link. "I uh, forgot a bag at the house. It's filled with apples - for Zelda, y'know? I just need to grab it- you guys go on, I'll be right back." Vio said hastily, already turning away.

"Uh, ok?" Green said to Vio with an unsure voice, but he was already pelting down the road. Vio didn't even bother to mount the horse that took him here; he was in too much of a hurry. He left the town and headed for some shade where he and Shadow Link could talk.

Vio left the path for privacy and headed for the woods that stretched far from Castle Town, the same woods he always went to. After finding a patch of sufficient shade, Vio rested against it. Shadow Link came out of his shadow almost immediately, but he was transparent and ghost like.

_Being out in the morning light must be rough_, Vio thought. And this appeared to be true. Shadow Link seemed to be grimacing in pain from being out of Vio's shadow.

"Are you sure you should be out right now?" Vio's voice was laced with concern as he saw Shadow Link's face screw up with pain. He moved to help support the shadow, but it was difficult. Since he was in a ghost-like state, Shadow Link was half there and half not, causing his weight to flash in and out.

"Yeah," Shadow Link growled, straightening up. "Yeah, I can take a little Light." He swallowed and finally stood upright. Vio stepped back as Shadow Link showed he didn't need his support.

"Alright, this job is pretty important," Shadow Link said seriously. "North-west from here is a Moblin settlement. They're protective creatures and hardly ever sleep to stay vigilant. Around noon is when they all take time to sleep. The ones around here are even more protective. Why?" Shadow Link asked him. Vio shrugged.

"They... Have something to be protected?"

"Exactly," Shadow Link grinned. "They are guarding a treasure."

"A treasure?" Vio pushed his eyebrows together in confusion. "Of what sorts?"

"It's a treasure that is valuable, but nearly no one knows about it because the Moblins don't even know how important it truly is. And what kind of treasure is that?" Shadow Link paused, letting Vio think about it.

"A book," Vio said, looking up. "Moblins can't read!" "Exactly!" Shadow Link laughed while Vio grinned.

"That book they have contains all the information we need. By the time you get there if you start soon, they should be asleep. That's when we go and get it."

"Ok," Vio said, thinking this through. "What if they wake up?" Shadow Link thought for a moment.

"Just get out of there as quick as you can," Shadow Link decided. "The Moblins won't appreciate us being in their home." Vio nodded.

"Alright, we should go then," Vio said. Shadow Link concurred, and returned back to his place in Vio's shadow. He set off towards the north-west in search of the Moblin hideout.

The sun was at it's highest point of noon when another set of woods came across Vio's field of vision. The Moblin's hideout was finally in his grasp. He entered the border cautiously and quietly, but he soon heard a reason not to.

Snoring. Loud, annoying, snoring came from nearly every spot Vio passed. These Moblins were out cold. A small smile played on his lips as he traveled carefully to the heart of the woods. The Moblins became scarce as he made it to the very center where a clearing of bright green grass lay. Only a single Moblin slumped by the pedestal that held a knotted mess of rope.

Vio stood by the pedestal, making sure not to disturb the snoring Moblin, and inspected it. The book was tied down with several untidily tied knots strapping it down to the piece of wood. _This will be easy,_ Vio thought. He pulled his sword out and started to cut through the rope. It was difficult, he must admit. The Moblins tied it down many times to provide 'security' for the book it seemed.

Soon the book was safely in Vio's hands, then safely in his adventuring pouch. Breathing a small sigh of relief, Vio turned sharply and headed for the way he had entered, but he didn't go far before hearing a strange cracking sound followed by an even stranger cry. Vio stepped back to see what exactly caused the noise.

He had stepped right on the only Moblin guarding the book's fingers. Vio gasped as the Moblin stood upright swiftly, glaring and looking around wildly to see what caused the pain in his hand. Once his beady eyes landed on Vio, he pulled out a small horn that he blew loudly. _Great_, Vio frowned. _Run! Hurry, go!_ Shadow Link growled in his head, and Vio bolted away from the Moblin.

The run through the Moblin hideout was far from pleasant. As soon as he entered the trees, a spear greeted him. It slashed out towards Vio, but he quickly ducked, anticipating the attack. He ran through the crowd of angry Moblins with spears swinging at him and arrows shot at him from left and right. He had no clue how his legs were supporting him through this, but all he knew was that he needed to get out.

"Wah!" Vio fell to the ground with a rough thud. Something tripped him, and it wasn't his shadow this time. A Moblin stood behind him with a crooked smile, his spear ready to swing at him. Vio reached for his sword, but something stopped him. _Don't_! Shadow Link said forcefully in his head. _Don't draw your sword! We need to go, not fight!_ Vio gulped and reluctantly lowered his hand back to the ground, realizing he would have to take the swing of the Moblin's spear head-on.

And boy did it hurt!

Vio gasped in pain as the spear sliced at his left arm, leaving a large gash and a whole lot of pain. Knowing that he could run before the Moblin managed to swing again, Vio took this chance to get up and get away. With the pain in his arm both shocking and great, Vio was half running through the trees and half running into the trees. With spears aiming to slice at him and arrows flying past his head, the way out of the woods couldn't have come soon enough. Just as he saw the edge of the trees, pain exploded in his calf. He fell down again, feeling the pain double from his previous fall, and looked back at his leg.

An arrow was stuck crookedly in his calf, leaving a small trickle of blood. Vio gritted his teeth as he pulled it out, making the pain worse. He threw the arrow to the side as he heard the stomping of the Moblins coming again. He had to keep running. Getting up and trying his best to ignore the pain, he took off again with great difficulty.

Vio didn't stop running the best he could until he was sure he was far enough away from the Moblins. He found and passed the road that he, Green, Blue and Red had traveled on that very morning to the Spring Festival, but it felt like a month ago. He slowed to a walk as he felt the blood pounding in his ears, and when he found the woods outside his home, the sun was just starting to set. He found a tree that he could lean on as he looked down at himself.

Vio looked like a complete mess. His purple tunic was covered with dirt and spots of blood, his boots seemed to be a totally different shade of brown, and his arm didn't exactly look exemplary. Vio checked his wounds to see if any were terribly serious.

Bruises ached on his arms and legs, but they weren't important. His cheek was stinging with blood; an arrow must have shot him as he was leaving. Also not important. His knees burned and Vio realized that he tore his tights. The knee and shin area showed crimson blood and some skin. His right calf was still bleeding and pretty agonizing. And his arm was screaming with pain from the cut he had gotten directly.

But on the plus side, Vio's legs got a good work out.

What with standing around for a moment, the full affect of his injuries seemed to rush to his brain, and Vio fell to a struggling limp. With his right arm covering his left arm's gash, Vio weakly walked back towards the house with great effort, and it was only then that he realized that Green, Blue, and Red would see his injuries and question why he was gone for so long. What was he supposed to tell them now? The question wasn't around long enough for an answer; pain was making his thoughts blurred as he limped for the wooden house.

When Vio finally reached his home, he didn't bother to go inside for a moment. He sat on the bench outside the door, and rested his head back on the wall. He released a sigh and looked down at his shadow. Like always, it moved without Vio moving, and gave him a nod. This made Vio smile wearily. It had been worth it. He had the book. They were another step closer.

Vio forced himself to his feet, his leg resisting and making him put most of his weight on his right leg. He opened the door quietly and stepped inside. _Maybe if I just stay silent I'll make it to the bathroom and cover my leg and arm, and no one will have to notice... I'll just say I slipped down hill or something and make it look better than it actually is. _

It was hard to make it to the bathroom quietly with his right leg dragging across the floor and making a distinct scuffing noise. Vio tried to locate where the other three were. Hopefully, they were outside. He trudged over to the window and saw Red in the field dueling with Green with large sticks. Blue seemed to be refereeing the fight.

Vio smiled softly at them before heading to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and turned on the sink. He removed his hand from his arm and put it under the water to wash the blood off. Vio then gingerly rolled his sleeve up over his wound to properly dress it. He then figured that he would need to remove his undershirt entirely to dress it completely, so he rolled his sleeve back down. He knew also he would need a new set of clothes without blood stains as to not alert the others.

Exiting the bathroom, Vio limped up to their room where his cleaner clothes were. As he entered their room, he had to lean against the doorway. The loss of blood was starting to make him feel dizzy and disoriented. He stumbled into the room, and reached for the closet. His vision began to blur as he opened the door, and he grabbed a new set of clothes with little acknowledgement.

The blood loss was really starting to get to him.

Vio limped out of his room, his mind dull and slow. He barely noticed when he dropped the clothes in his hand from such a loose grip. And he didn't even notice it when the stairs started, causing him to fall down the small flight of stairs. Vio lay at the start of the stairs on the floor, pain coming from every nerve that hit each stair and his eyes half open. He felt them sag as his conscience slipped away.

Vio thought of the battle Red and Green were having outside,and wondered who had won as he finally slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Green pointed the stick at Red's chest.

"Ha! I win!" Green laughed. Sweat spotted over his forehead as it did with Red's. Their 'battle' was a long and exhausting one.

"Fine, fine, you win!" Red grinned and dropped his stick. Blue stepped over to Green and grabbed his wrist. He lifted it into the air.

"Green is the winner!" Blue said cheerily. "The hero who is as skillful as he is smelly!" he added while holding his nose. Green laughed and twisted his wrist from Blue grip.

"Like you're one to talk! Do you even shower?" Green replied, giving Blue a small shove.

"More often than you!" Blue said with a push in return, "Tell me, what species of mushroom are you growing in your pits this month, hmm?"

"Shut up!" Green laughed, stumbling back from the shove.

"Hey, did you guys notice that Vio _always _smells good?" Red mentioned. Blue and Green exchanged glances._  
_

"Nah, I haven't," Blue replied.

"I wonder if he's back yet?" Green asked, looking towards the door.

"Maybe. If he is, we'll just take turns sniffing him!" Blue laughed as Red smiled at his words.

"Come on, let's go inside then," Green said to them. Red, still somehow full of energy after their battle, ran towards the door.

Green and Blue made it halfway to the door when Red, strangely enough, came back out. His face lost its playful charm and was replaced with stony fear.

"Guys, come quick! It- it's Vio, he's hurt!" Red called worriedly, and escaped back inside. Green and Blue pelted for the door and entered quickly to see what was going on.

Vio was laying on the floor in a pool of blood. The top half of him was on the dusty floor while his other half was resting on the stairs. His eyes were disturbingly half open with a blank stare.

"Oh Goddess... Vio, what happened to you?!"


	4. Chapter 4 - Shadows and Dreams

**Author's Note - I have a feeling that I should apologize for my last chapter. x-x It was like, waaaaay too long! And choppy at the end. So in return, this chapter is going to be super juicy! o:! Enjoy~! **

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Vio was running. He didn't know where, or from what, but he didn't care. He just needed to run. To go. Go away? But why leave his friends and family? He turned and saw Green running towards him alongside with Red and Blue. _My family, _Vio thought, and began to run towards them. He quickly realized this was a mistake. As he neared Green and the others, he saw something strange. Something that didn't belong in their blue eyes.

Hatred.

Their eyes burned with hatred. For who, though? _For you,_ a voice whispered in his head. Vio gulped and turned again to continue running away, but he was cut short. He felt a slash of a sword hit his left arm, and he fell to the ground in pain. He felt another explosive feeling of pain in his calf as well. Looking back, he saw Red lowering his bow and running towards him. He turned around to run, but he was too late.

They had caught up to him. They flipped him over on his back so he was starring up at the oddly colored blood red sky. Blue put his heel down on Vio's right wrist as Red restrained his uninjured leg. Panting from the pain and fear, Vio looked up at them as Green approached.

"What are you guys doing?" Vio asked in a strangled voice that didn't sound like his.

"What are _we_ doing?" Green growled. "What about what _you_ have been doing? Sneaking out at night to plot with Shadow Link!" Vio's eyes widened. They found out. They knew.

"I-"

"Save your excuse!" Green rumbled, shaking his head. "There's nothing that can save a traitor like you now." Through all the hatred and fury in his voice, Vio heard the smallest hint of sadness.

"Guys, it's not what you think, we-" Vio started.

"'Not what we think?' So you're just having evening teas with Shadow Link rather than helping him." Green said sarcastically. Vio closed his mouth. They were right. He was helping Shadow Link.

"Now that we know what you've become, we can't deal with you any other way," Green started as he drew his sword. He raised it above Vio. "Don't worry. We'll easily be able to live without the evil part of me." Green then thrusted his sword downward into Vio's stomach.

* * *

Vio gasped, his eyes flying open wildly. He panted, feeling his heart race and his forehead lined with sweat. It took him a moment to realize that he was in a bed. His bed. At home. Safe. Vio's hand quickly went to his stomach and found no wounds there. He was alright.

Then he felt that both his arm and leg were hurting slightly, and very stiff. _Oh no,_ Vio thought, looking at his bandaged arm. _ Are my injuries from them?_ His mind sought for an answer as fear built up in his chest. But before an answer was provided, the door opened to his right. It was them. Green, Red, and Blue all stepped into the room, their eyes trained on Vio. "

Hey, you're up!" Green said cheerily, and walked quickly over to his purple friend. Vio visibly flinched as Green neared, scared to see his face twist with the same hatred from his dream.

Seeing Vio flinch caused both Red and Blue to stop in their tracks. Worry was now spread across their faces more heavily than before. Green's eyes filled with concern.

"Vio?" Green said with a fear that he tried to conceal. Seeing them approach him was a bit too much for Vio, and he started shaking slightly. He became more tense as Red and Blue finally approached him. Red by his feet, just like the dream, and Blue to his right, just like the dream. This was becoming all too real. Vio looked down, expecting to see Green pull his sword out from the corner of his eyes and ready to stab him, in real life this time. But no one moved.

"Vio?" Green repeated. It was only then that Vio noticed the gentleness in Green's voice. Compassion. Concern. And small hints of hope. But no hatred. Vio looked up finally at Green, and noticed his face was clear of any sort of malice towards him.

"Sorry," Vio finally said, "Bad dream," At this Red got closer to Vio and placed his hand on his forehead. Though sticky with sweat, it was burning hot. His cheeks were red as well.

"Probably a fever dream," Red concluded as he stepped back. "He should drink more water, now that he's awake." Vio suddenly felt that his mouth was completely dry. Water did sound good. Blue mentioned something about how Red should become a doctor in a teasing tone, but Vio's thoughts were still slowly recognizing what had happened to him to pay full attention.

"Alright, you guys go get him some, I'll keep an eye on him," Green told Blue and Red. Blue nodded without hesitation, but Red paused before leaving. Vio noticed that curiosity was bouncing about his face. Green's eyes narrowed. "Later," He whispered to him. The curiosity that was on his face left and was replaced by a hint of disappointment before Red finally left. Confusion by this entered his thoughts. Why was Red curious of him? It took Vio a moment to comprehend that the three of them still had no idea about what happened to him to get such injuries. Vio cast a worried glance at Green, hoping he wouldn't start asking questions.

"Don't worry," Green told Vio as though he had read his mind, "He won't ask for now." But Vio could hear the curiosity in his voice as well.

The last thing he wanted to do right now was to talk about what happened, mostly because he couldn't think of a good excuse for his wounds. He knew he couldn't use the 'falling down a hill' idea anymore since they all saw how serious his injuries were, and he couldn't tell them the truth of what really happened.

_What should I tell them?_ Vio wondered. _Say you were ambushed by some Moblins. Then they dropped you in the woods, and got lost. That would explain why you were gone for so long and how you got your injuries._ Shadow Link instructed. Vio nodded slightly.

"Here's your water!" Red's cheerful voice came from the doorway. He came in with Blue trailing behind with a bucket of clear water and a small cup. They placed the bucket by his bed and filled the cup with water. Red handed the cup to a shaky Vio, and he quickly drank the water. It was the best tasting water he ever had.

"Try to get some rest," Green told him with a reassuring smile. Vio complied and rested back under his blankets. Sleep came easily, and he drifted off into another dream.

* * *

_Crash!_

Vio held his arm over his head to shield himself from the wind and rain. Thunder clouds rolled up ahead and showed no signs of stopping. He looked up, seeing the black clouds release lightning here and there. Fires scattered across Castle Town. People were screaming and running away, pleading to their Goddesses for help. Vio felt a flash of guilt. This was all his fault.

Vaati soared in the sky with an evil laugh. Vio looked closer, and to his horror, saw his tentacles wrapped around three small bodies. Green, Blue, and Red were hanging limp in Vaati's grip. _They're dead_, A voice in his head told Vio. _Because of you._

"No, I didn't mean for this to happen!" Vio cried to the howling wind. "I'm sorry!"

"Vio," A sweet but painful voice said. It was familiar to him somehow. A shaft of light broke through the dark clouds, and a young woman floated down.

It was Zelda. She had her arms spread wide as she floated closer to Vio, her face filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry," Vio repeated, "I- I didn't want any of this to happen!" Zelda moved closer and cupped Vio's head in her palms as he began to cry.

"Vio," She said again, "Why did you betray me?" Her voice was full of anguish.

"I didn't," Vio choked out, "I wouldn't betray you!" Vio's tears were falling faster now. "Please, Zelda, I wouldn't..!"

Zelda's fingers curled and dug into Vio's cheeks as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Her face was lost of any emotion and a wretched emptiness replaced it. Her mouth fell open and a scream escaped her. Zelda's dress began to rot and turned to a black charred color. Vio watched in horror as Zelda began to fade away as though she rotted to death.

"Why did you betray me?" Zelda's voice echoed in the air around Vio louder than the pounding rain. Vio fell to the ground in sorrow as her words repeated. "Why did you betray me?" He couldn't stop his tears now. "Why did you betray me?" He clapped his hands over his ears to block Zelda's voice, but he still heard it.

"Why did you betray me?"

"Why did you betray me?"

"Why did you betray me?"

* * *

Vio didn't jerk awake this time, but rather, he slowly opened his eyes. His forehead, like the last time he had slept, was dotted with sweat. But that wasn't the only thing on his face this time.

His cheeks were stained with streams of tears that Vio reached to wipe away. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, finding them quite crusty. When he opened his eyes again, he let them refocus, and realized that Green was sitting on a chair by Vio's bed. He wore a worried look that didn't fit his personality.

"Y-you're alive..." Vio whispered, relief filling his chest. Green's eyes flashed with a greater worry when he heard this.

"Hey," Green said quietly. "You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just another dream," Vio replied, trying to make his voice strong. He didn't want Green to worry about him more than he needed. But in all reality, the dream really disturbed Vio.

"I know something that will make you feel better," Green told him with a more playful grin. Vio looked up in confusion as Green left the room. It was silent for awhile before the door opened again. He expected to see Green coming in with something in his arms, but he got something totally different.

Zelda stepped into the room and smiled at Vio. He felt a rock sink to the bottom of his stomach, and swallowed.

"P-Princess," He said shakily. If she was worried by his tone, she hid it very well.

"Hello, Vio," Zelda said calmly, and sat in the chair next to him. "How are you feeling?" Vio seemed to have trouble finding his words.

"I- I've been better," Vio admitted. Zelda laughed softly. Seeing this made Vio's spirits lift slightly. She wasn't screaming in pain, but laughing cheerily. That was a dream. This is real life. Vio seemed to struggle to tell himself this.

"Well," Zelda leaned over and held his right hand in hers. "I want to let you know that I'm here for you, ok?" She smiled again. Vio nodded. "Good. I'm busy as you know, but I wanted to see you with my own eyes before I continued. Keep in touch, alright? Promise me?"

"Promise," Vio replied with a weak smile. Zelda smiled in return, and released his hand before leaving the room. Vio felt something weird after her hand left his.

His right hand was burning. Vio rubbed it softly with confusion. Why on earth was his hand burning after Zelda touched it?

_It's because she's a Spirit Maiden_, Shadow Link told Vio in his head. _It would happen to me as well if I ever touched Zelda._ Vio thought these words over carefully.

Was Vio becoming something akin to a living shadow?


	5. Chapter 5 - Petal Problems

**Author's Note- Here's chapter 5, the last chapter I'll post before the week starts. Sadly, this will probably be the last one posted until the weekend starts again, so I didn't leave y'all with a terrible cliffhanger. I know how that feels! xD I'd like to thank again everyone who even bothered to read my weird little story. (Maybe I should have mentioned earlier that I don't own Zelda..? Oh well, the disclaimer's out there now! xwx;; ) You guys are great! I hope you enjoy this exciting chapter 5. :) **

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Vio stared up at the ceiling, his arms and legs stiff as usual. The road to recovery was a long and boring one. Though he had broken his fever the day before, Vio was still riddled with nightmares of worst case scenarios, making him pretty irritable. Shadow Link also went quiet after Zelda's visit two days ago. Vio felt like half of his mind had gone static, and he actually missed his friend's stream of opinions and thoughts in his head.

But he was spared of waiting for his company any longer when Shadow Link appeared once again. He left Vio's shadow and stood by him in his room, leaning on Vio's bed. _Come on_, Shadow Link thought. _It's time we read that book._

Vio didn't resist; he was tired of being stuck in that bed. He got up as quietly as he could, grabbed the book from his pouch, and exited the room. Shadow Link helped to support Vio on his bad leg as they walked down the stairs and out of the house. He was surprised at how quiet their footsteps were.

After the pair left the house they headed for the woods and the clearing they normally sat in. Vio loved the feeling of the crisp night air on his face again, and the familiar longing for an adventure came back around to him again.

"An adventurer's spirit never dies, huh?" Vio heard Shadow Link call ahead of him. He smiled and quickened his pace to catch up with the flying shadow.

Once they made it to the clearing, Vio sat on the rock as usual and Shadow Link floated down to stand behind Vio. He pulled the book out and rested it on his lap. Ancient Hylian was written across the top.

"What does it say?" Vio asked Shadow Link. He leaned over Vio's shoulder to get a better look at the title.

"Looks like '_Common and Uncommon Items Found in Hyrule_'," Shadow Link said with a grin. Vio looked up at him in confusion.

"What's the point of this old thing?" He asked, "Couldn't we have just found a book like this in some library?" Shadow Link shook his head and reached for the book. He opened it and began flipping through the dusty pages.

"If I'm right... This shows where _all_ items can be found... Including... Ha!" Shadow Link put his finger on the page and showed Vio what he was so excited about. His finger was pointing to a picture of a circular sapphire blue gemstone. It looked to have a mystical air to it, even if it was a picture.

"Moon Pearls," Vio said breathlessly. "This shows where Moon Pearls are!" A grin spread across his face. Shadow Link gave him the book back with a smile on his lips as well.

Moon Pearls were mysterious stones that would show the way to Moon Gates. Moon Gates would then lead one into the Dark World, a parallel world to Hyrule. Vio remembered the Moon Gates that they had opened on their quest to save Hyrule, but they deactivated themselves after long time of no use.

"This book will help us find a Moon Pearl," Shadow Link said, "It's the only book that tells us where all of them can be found."

"How many do we need?" Vio asked, reading the paragraph about the Moon Pearl.

"Just one," Shadow Link replied, "We need only one Moon Gate opened." Vio frowned in thought.

"Whichever Moon Gate we find, it will have to be far enough away from here that Green, Red, and Blue won't notice, but close enough to travel to in a day." Vio decided. His focus returned to the old book in is hands "I wonder if this shows where Moon Gates are as well..." He muttered, and flipped back a few pages. "Ah, here," The page labeled 'Moon Gates' showed a map of Hyrule with small blue symbols spread around the map. Vio found their location, and began deciphering a practical spot for a Moon Gate.

"Maybe near the swamp?" Shadow Link suggested. "It's just south from here I think, and pretty close," Vio nodded.

"Yeah, I think that could work..." He turned back to the Moon Pearl page. "It looks like we'll have to get our Moon Pearl from either here," Vio pointed to a small area in Frozen Hyrule, "Or here," He moved his finger to Lake Hylia. "It says Moon Pearls here in these locations are constantly popping up. Personally, I vote for Lake Hylia. It doesn't freeze there."

"Hah," Shadow Link laughed, "Yeah, Lake Hylia sounds best." He looked down at Vio's leg. "I guess you should make a full recovery before we go, huh?" His smile fell from his face at this.

"Well," Vio put the book aside and stood up. He let his left leg support him for a moment before putting weight on his right leg. It was more weak than painful now, but still a nuisance. "I might be able to manage my leg, but it's my arm I'm more worried about." Vio told Shadow Link. His left arm sustained the worst of his injuries, and though it was healing nicely, it was taking its sweet time.

"I guess we should wait before we leave then," Shadow Link said with a slightly disappointing tone. This made Vio look up at him, seeing the hope of a new adventure leave his eyes. He shared the same drive that he had for an adventure.

"Don't worry. It won't be as long as you think," Vio told him reassuringly. Shadow Link smiled softly at this. It might have been one of the truest smiles he had ever seen. Something fluttered up in Vio's chest; it was a nice and warm feeling.

_Friendship_. Shadow Link was feeling friendship for the first time; a sense of camaraderie. And honestly, it felt good. It was nice to find out what Vio felt every time he was with those other so-called _Heroes_...

_... Wait_. Vio looked up in surprise. Why was he feeling friendship like it was for the first time? He had been friends with Green, Red, and Blue for some time now. This definitely wasn't the first time he had _ever_ felt friendship from someone else. Shadow Link seemed to realize that his feeling of the new emotion 'friendship' did not just happen to him at that moment. They looked at each other in confusion.

Shadow Link stared at Vio intently. Something about his countenance was different... It was more rigid and stiff, very similar to his own. Were they starting to share more than just thoughts? Were they sharing emotions now? It was odd, that's for sure, but neither of them exchanged any words.

Back when Shadow Link faked his death was the first time he had ever become Vio's shadow. Vio knew then that they would share some sort of bond with Shadow Link becoming a part of him. After being in his shadow for awhile, they developed the ability to read each other's thoughts. It was only recently becoming more honed. Now, Vio figured, being able to read each other's emotions was the next thing.

Shadow Link was truly becoming a part of Vio.

Deciding to break the silence, Vio said, "I'll find a way to get healed quicker. This book is bound to have something in here on amazing natural herbs or something." Shadow Link's face brightened slightly (at least, as much as a shadow's face can light up), and returned to Vio's shadow.

Vio was able to make it back to the house in a quiet manner without Shadow Link's help, and back into bed. He felt emotionally exhausted, and his thoughts ran for awhile before finally finding sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Vio spent most of his time reading the book for medicines that could cure him quickly. He hid it well from the others when they would enter and talk to him. Red, sweet but terribly annoying, was constantly checking up on him. He mentioned that he felt the need to take very good care of Vio. He was taking such good care in fact that Vio started to think as well as Blue that Red would make a good doctor.

Vio, with his nose in the book, was training all the attention he had on a certain paragraph about a flower whose petals, when grounded, would produce an incredibly useful medicine. As he searched for what the medicine did, he didn't even notice when Red's footsteps approached the door to his room. Red paused for a moment before throwing the door open quickly.

"Surprise! It's Red!" Red said cheerily to Vio. Vio jumped when Red announced himself, and felt a flash of anger.

"Dear Goddesses, Red, I don't need a babysitter!" He barked at Red as he slammed the book shut. Red flinched slightly. You could tell that he wasn't expecting the rough sort of welcome that Vio gave him.

Vio blinked. What just happened? He didn't mean to snap at Red, he just surprised him. But even so, he shouldn't have yelled at him...

"Sorry," Vio started, feeling guilty and shocked at his temper. "I didn't mean to get mad at you, honest." Red only nodded, and left the room. Vio put his face in his palm, angry with himself now. Who could possibly yell at the gentle red hero? He sighed and reopened the book, looking for the flower again.

By dusk, Vio had read up on all that he needed to know about the small flower, and decided that it was the right one to use for his wounds. He saw Green and Blue enter their room chatting about their day with Red trailing behind. He seemed to cast a nervous glance over at Vio before crawling into bed, and Vio felt another flash of guilt. He looked down as he rested his head on his pillow. He closed his eyes, and waited for the others to fall asleep.

Soon, Blue's soft snoring and Red's high pitched nose whistle filled the room. He opened his eyes and got out of bed. He packed the book in his adventure pouch, and headed downstairs. In the kitchen he grabbed a small bowl and in the cabinet he found the only herbal grinder they had. He placed them both in his pouch, smiling slightly. He'd be limping on the way there, but running on the way back.

As soon as he left the door, Vio set off to the south east. The flower that he was looking for only grew in a beach climate, so Eastern Hyrule was his destination. The coast that the four of them had gone to was the best place, in his opinion, to find these flowers.

The moon was right above his head when Vio found the coast that he had his heart set on to find his flowers. Shadow Link materialized himself to walk beside Vio.

"The flowers should be over there, right?" Shadow Link asked, pointing to a patch of grass and trees around the edges of the beach.

"Yeah, the book said they typically grow by tall trees," Vio responded. His pale blue eyes looked for the taller trees as they approached the greenery, and spotted a particularly tall one. Excitement quickened his limping pace. He stepped down by the tree, examining the flowers around the base of the trunk.

Small, white flowers with five petals swayed gently in the wind. This was the flower he had been looking for. Vio picked the flowers by the tree with a smile on his face. He then got out the bowl and the herbal grinder from the house, and placed them on the sand. Shadow Link knelt beside him as Vio started to grind the petals of the flower into a powder.

Even though he wasn't a doctor, Vio was pleased with the grinding work he had done. The petals held a great deal of oil, so rather than a powder, he had a jelly-like medicine. Vio dipped two of his fingers in the mixture, and felt the strange slimy texture of it. It seemed right enough.

Vio wiped his fingers off and rolled up his sleeve. He unwrapped his bandages to see an ugly wound in the healing process, and rubbed some of the petal mixture into the cut.

As soon as the medicine touched his injury, it began to burn. He grimaced as he rubbed the rest of the medicine in. He could see Shadow Link grimacing as well.

The burning stopped shortly after the medicine was in completely, and his arm began to feel cool. The jelly medicine stayed on his arm for a short while, then mysteriously evaporated like water, leaving Vio's arm in a perfect state.

His arm no longer felt stiff. It felt just like new. The medicine had the same affect on his calf as well. Vio stood up on his right leg solely, surprised to see that it held his weight so easily.

Vio turned to see Shadow Link looking at him, waiting to see if the medicine really worked. Vio grinned at him.

"Race ya," Vio challenged him, "To the other side of the coast." Shadow Link's face spread with a mischievous grin, and nodded. Vio drew his sword and made a line in the sand for a starting point. He sheathed the sword, and the two went behind the starting line.

"One," Vio crouched, ready to run.

"Two," Shadow Link tensed his muscles.

"Three!" The two took off in a mad dash. Vio felt power returning to his right leg, and he was glad it was feeling better. They seemed to be neck and neck until Shadow Link pulled ahead, beating Vio.

"Ha, looks like your leg isn't as good as you think it is!" He panted, grinning.

"Whatever, you cheater!" Vio laughed as he fought to retain his breath. "I swear I saw you float right at the end there."

"Hey, you can't blame me for floating, it's like second nature to me!" Shadow Link retorted, now laughing himself. "C'mon, let's get back before the others notice you're gone. By the time we get back, it's gonna be dawn," Shadow Link advised, looking up at the moon.

"Yeah, ok," Vio agreed, and set out the way they came.

Shadow Link's prediction was right; it was just daybreak as Vio made it to the house. His leg and his arm felt great, and his spirits couldn't have felt higher as they watched the sun rise. Vio looked at his shadow, and like always, it nodded to him.

They were another step closer.


	6. Chapter 6 - Sleeping Waters

**Author's Note - Thanks to you guys for waiting a bit for the next chapter! :) This one is a tad shorter, I must admit, what with it being written during the week and all (sorry cx), but whateva! It gets the point across either way. Chapter 7 is in the works, and will (hopefully) be up in two days time (Friday). Again, that's if everything goes as planned! Like always, reviews and follows are appreciated like A TON. cx Enjoy this water-logged chapter 6, hope you like it! :D**

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Vio didn't bother to go back in the house. The trip to Lake Hylia would take most of the day, and getting to the swamp for the Moon Gate would take up the rest of the day. Vio didn't know why, but he didn't feel tired from his expedition to the coast. He was ready for another adventure.

Opening the book, Vio turned to the dog-eared page that held all the information he needed on Moon Pearls. Lake Hylia had a blue dot right near the edge of the lake where he was supposedly able to find Moon Pearls. He looked up, imagining the path he would need to take to get there, and closed the book. He was ready.

Vio stood up and walked towards the woods. He would just need to take a short cut through the forest and head north-east...

"Vio?" A drowsy voice called. Vio stopped dead in his tracks, feeling his blood turn ice-cold. Turning around quickly, Vio saw the small shape of Red peeking out of the door. He was rubbing his eyes, as if he had just gotten up. Vio felt a cold sweat fall down his neck.

_Just go,_ Shadow Link thought. _He's still half asleep. If you leave, he probably won't remember._ Vio swallowed, and turned around. He took off and disappeared behind the trees in a hasty dash.

"Vio? Hey," Vio heard Red call again. He quickened his pace. "Where're ya going?" He could catch Red's voice raise with worry and awareness. He kept running through the woods, hoping Red would just go back inside...

Red's eyes had trouble focusing. Did Vio just leave? Confused, he stared after his purple friend before going back inside. He had to tell the others.

Dashing up the stairs, Red bolted into their room and went to Green's bed.

"Wake up, wake up, it's Vio again!" Red shook Green's shoulder in an effort to wake him. His blue eyes wearily peeled open, and he was alert in an instant after seeing Red's distressed face. Once he noticed that Green was up, Red turned to Blue.

"Wake up! C'mon, Blue, get up! It's Vio!" Red told the slumbering hero. Blue groaned.

"No, lemme sleep... I'll get up later..." Blue mumbled through his pillow and pool of drool. Red rolled his eyes.

"You wouldn't even get up even if Hyrule was on fire!" Red whined with a frustrated tone.

"Is it?" Blue replied, his eyes still closed.

"Well, no," Red blinked, and looked outside briefly as if his words could have set the plains on fire.

"Then I'm going back to sleep..." Blue rolled on his side, ready to sleep again.

"But it's Vio! He just- he just left!" Red sighed. By now, Green already had his boots and hat on, and was standing up.

"Blue," Green said with his commanding voice, "Get up, we've got an issue." Blue sniffed, and lifted his head at this. If there was something he knew, it was that you shouldn't argue with Green. His hair was all messy from sleeping, his eyelids sagging, and an annoyed look was on his face.

"You two are nuts," Blue grumbled matter-of-factly. "But what's this about Vio?"

"Yeah," Green chimed in, "What happened?"

"Well, I was downstairs when I saw Vio sitting on the bench and get up, so I went outside to talk to him, but then he just left and didn't say anything, and he wasn't limping at all, like he was all better, and his arm looked fine to, and when he looked at me, he looked scared, and he just like bolted like he didn't want me to see him, and he didn't even look back when I tried to talk to him again, so he's still out there, but I don't know where he's going," Red spoke all this through one breath, and inhaled deeply when he was done, looking between Green and Blue as he spoke. Green's eyes narrowed like they did when he was in thought.

"What could he be doing..?" Green pondered out loud, looking out the window at the woods.

In those very woods, Vio rushed between the trees as quickly as he could. As he ran faster and faster, he noticed the trees becoming less thick, and soon he was out of the forest. Vio placed his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.

_That stupid Red, _Vio heard Shadow Link growl in his head, _What a-_

_Nuisance_, Vio finished for him, his eyes pulling into a glare, _Why can't he just-_

_Mind his own business?_ Shadow Link finished for Vio this time. Vio stood up with a frown on his face. Turning to face the sun, he noticed that it had climbed higher than where it was when he entered the woods. He needed to get to Lake Hylia before it was too late, so he set off again, the thought of finding a Moon Pearl pushing him onwards.

The sun was hiding behind a dim cloudy sky when Lake Hylia was in sight. A large cascading waterfall loomed in the distance. A wave of mist hit Vio as he stood by the large body of water, looking at his swaying reflection in the water. A figure formed next to him, and it was only then that Vio began to notice the similarities between them (other than a similar outfit and hair). Their facial features were becoming alike. Their eyes had the same sort of edge to it - the same coldness that was isolated around the pupil.

"So," Shadow Link grinned. He seemed to notice the similarities as well. "Does that book say where the Moon Pearls here are?" Vio shook his head.

"Just that they're in this area," Vio replied, glancing at Shadow Link briefly before looking more intently into the water. "Do... You see that too?" He asked quietly. A small glimmer was coming from the bottom of the lake. Confused, Shadow Link kneeled down by the shore.

"Yeah," He narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what was down there. Vio, on the other hand, was taking his boots off.

"I'm going to find out what that is," Vio didn't give Shadow Link a time to respond; he was already diving into the lake. Vio swam through the rushing water as he plunged deeper and deeper. Soon, the glimmering that he had seen was becoming closer. He squinted his eyes through the water to realize what he was looking at.

Small, delicate flowers were swaying gently to the current of the water on a mossy rock. _Flowers? _Vio wondered. _How are flowers growing down here on a rock of all things?_ But Vio didn't have much time to investigate, he was running out of air. Bubbles escaped his mouth as he swam for the surface. He saw Shadow Link leaning over the water as Vio shoved his head emerged from the water. He felt support from Shadow Link as he crawled onto the land coughing up water. Vio brushed his hair from his face and wiped his eyes.

"Flowers," Vio choked out once he got his breath back. "Flowers are down there, growing on a rock."

"On a rock?" Shadow Link echoed with a confused expression. "That makes no-"

"Sense," Vio ended for him, "I know. I'm going to try and pick one." He jumped back into the water and dived down to find the mysterious patch of flowers. As he neared them again, he reached out a hand to pick one of the flowers. But as soon as he exerted pressure to pull the flower away, it stiffened up.

The flower stopped swaying and became as rigid as the rock it grew on. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to pull the flower off with brute force alone, Vio drew his sword out and sliced the flower from the rock. The base of the stem shattered its attachment to the rock, and Vio grabbed it with his right hand. He put his sword away as his breath began to run out.

With the flower clutched in his fist, Vio swam upward, struggling to keep his breath. His lungs were hurting for more air as the surface of the water seemed to be miles away. Darkness surrounded his eyes as his muscles gave out. Vio fought to keep his consciousness as he reached his hand out in one last attempt to swim upward. The surface was so close, if only he had more strength...

Vio felt something clasp his hand and pull him higher and higher, out of the water. Relief washed over him as he was pulled out onto the shore, hacking up water. He released his grip on the flower, it rolling onto the pale green grass. Vio rubbed the water out of his eyes and the hair out of his face again. He rested his head against the ground, and looked up to see Shadow Link's face staring down at him.

"Thanks," Vio grinned up at him weakly. He reached for the flower, and showed it to Shadow Link. "Got it." Shadow Link took the flower from Vio and looked at it closely. Vio watched his face turn from an interested emotion to an excited one.

"Vio, look at the center of the flower!" Shadow Link said, shoving the flower back into Vio's hands. Vio blinked the rest of the water out of his eyes as he sat up, and looked at the flower again.

The flower no longer had its stone-like quality, it was back to being a normal flower. Its petals were of a misty blue hue and looked very soft. The stem was a dark blue, and small leaves came out here and there. And in the heart of the flower was a strangely familiar looking sapphire blue stone that was glimmering slightly...

"A Moon Pearl?" Vio scrunched his eyebrows together. "These flowers grow Moon Pearls?"

"Yeah," Shadow Link grinned. Curious now, Vio pulled out the book from his adventure pouch, and started to look up something about a flower that grows Moon Pearls. In the sub category about plants, Vio found the peculiar flower that they had discovered on the bottom of Lake Hylia.

"Here," Vio started, looking down at the page, "Looks like it's called 'Hylia's Flowers'... Legend says that the Goddess Nayru put a magical rock called the 'Moon Rock' at the bottom of Lake Hylia that has the mystical power to grow Moon Pearls from it... After the Hylia Flower is fully grown the Moon Pearl detaches itself from the flower and floats along the current... Then the Goddess Farore uses her nature laws to spread them around Hyrule. Huh." Vio grinned. "Never knew."

"After you finish teaching class," Shadow Link said with a mocking tone that Vio grinned again at, "We should get moving," Shadow Link said, standing up. Vio came to his feet as well, putting away the book.

"I think we should go by the house first," Vio suggested. "I need some dry clothes. And by the time I get there, it will be dark again, so we can travel by night." Shadow Link nodded, and looked up into the sky. The sun was coming out behind the clouds, and he returned back to Vio's shadow.

Vio turned around with the flower in his adventure pouch along with the book and headed for the way he had came, wondering what he should tell Green, Red, and Blue when he saw them.

* * *

**Just a quick little ending note for the world and all who inhabit it- I threw in the small bit about Hylia's Flowers because of my own quirky needs. xwx Not only did I think that you all needed (maybe even wanted) an explanation on the weird rock-flowers, but I wanted to share how much though I had actually put into the plant without making it too weird. Or did I already cross that line..? Oh well, the more you know! xD ~ _Quo_**


	7. Chapter 7 - Unsettling Darkness

**Author's Note - Again, super-duper thanks for the patience you guys have! :) Here's your chapter 7 with lots of twists and turns. And talking. I apologize ahead for that. x3 Hope you fellows enjoy! :D**

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Vio saw lights in the kitchen as he neared the house. The sun was riding low in the sky, making the clouds appear to be a bright orange. _They're probably having dinner..._ Vio thought, and realized how hungry he was himself. Over the trip back to Lake Hylia, Vio couldn't think of a convincible reason to leave after Red called for him, and he was getting tired of telling lies. As he placed his hand on the door knob, he sighed, knowing that he would just have to go for it, and opened the door.

Vio expected to see some surprised faces meet his when he entered. The three of them were sitting at the dinner table together, something Vio hadn't done since he got injured. Red's expression, though, was half shock and half relief. Blue was just plain surprised. Green looked surprised as well, and...

Suspicious. Great. Vio crossed the room without a word and headed up stairs. One of them might have tried to talk to him, maybe get his attention, but he didn't care. He closed the door to their room behind him, and took off his damp clothes, replacing them with dry ones. He left the room almost as quickly as he had entered it, and climbed down the stairs.

Again, Vio was the center of attention, something he wasn't fond of. With his annoyance rising, he went to the counter and picked up an apple to eat on the way. Now if he could just-

"Hey Vio," Green started, "What happened this morning?" Vio felt his fingers curl around the apple as he struggled to keep his temper. He didn't have time to be confused on why he got so mad, part of him didn't want to think about it. When his question was greeted with silence, Green stood up from the table.

"Vio, what were you doing?" Vio heard Green say to him as he walked towards the door. He was almost there...

A grip held on Vio's arm suddenly stopped him in his tracks. Turning around, Vio saw that Green had gotten a hold of his arm.

"Let go," Vio said, struggling to stay calm.

"Vio, if there's a problem, we should work it out as a team," Green said in that disgustingly encouraging voice. "You don't have to face it alone."

"Let go," Vio repeated, his temper rising.

"C'mon," Out of the corner of his eye, Vio saw Green smile. "We've always been a team, we can work it out together." This was greeted with silence, which Green assumed was stubbornness not to speak. But really, Vio was fighting to not to totally lash out at him. He tried to take deep breaths, but he could still feel his blood boiling and his heart pounding.

"It's just... The last time you'd left us for awhile, you were with Shadow Link," Green said, remembering him. "I mean, I know he was sort of good in the end, but I-"

"Let go,"

Vio didn't know what he did exactly, but whatever he did, it made Green stop talking. All he felt was this strange dull feeling come over him, and his left arm move somewhere... He turned around to look at Green, and was surprised to see utter bewilderment in his blue eyes. The same astonishment was in Red and Blue's eyes as well. What had he done? Vio looked between the three, confused. What could have made them so-

While looking between Red, Blue, and Green, Vio caught a reflection of himself in a window. He was surprised to see such an image of him.

Vio's eyes were in a hard glare and his mouth appeared to be pulled in a straight line. He had a stiff stature, and his left arm was-

Vio watched his eyes widen in shock as he realized that his hand was on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw. Was he really about to pull his sword out on his family..? He gulped, looking between them again, feeling the dullness he had wash away with the shock of what he saw, his anger fading and being replaced with confusion and guilt. Vio dropped his grip on his sword and looked at his shaking hand as it fell. What kind of friend was he? His hand felt for the door knob, all he wanted to do was to get away. When he finally found it, Vio opened the door, and took off.

Did he hear Green calling for him? Did he hear Red's wail, in hopes his friend would return? Vio couldn't tell, but he couldn't face them. Not right now. Blood was pounding in his ears as he ran faster, his legs stumbling through the grass that became thicker and thicker as he headed further south.

The moon was up in the sky when Vio finally stopped in the tall grasses. His head was throbbing as he leaned against a thick, leafy tree. He rested his head against the tree, looking up at the starry sky.

"Hey," Vio said as Shadow Link appeared next to him. He was silent, which was odd. Vio turned to look at him, and was slightly to see that his expression was distant as though he was deep in thought. Shadow Link looked up, noticing Vio's questioning stares, and shook his head.

"I don't know what happened in there either." Shadow Link said, knowing what Vio was thinking. "I think we just got mad."

"Furious," Vio added. "And our emotions combined to make a mess of madness," Vio laughed in a hollow tone. Shadow Link shook his head with a small smile.

"Not like they wouldn't've deserved it," Shadow Link said under his breath.

"They need to keep their noses out of other people's business," Vio included under his breath as well. They both looked up at each other. Their gazes held for a moment before the two of them laughed.

"Well, it's true!" Vio grinned. Shadow Link laughed again.

"C'mon, let's find that Moon Gate," He said,

"Where's the Moon Pearl? We should watch it. For when it starts to glow." Vio dug through his adventure pouch at these words, searching for the stone they had found just that afternoon. When his fingers finally found the delicate flower containing the Pearl, he clasped onto it gently and extracted his hand.

"Here," Vio said, showing the flower to him. In the moonlight, the Moon Pearl had an interesting glow to it. It gave off an ominous light that had a magical air to it. Vio was surprised to see that it was already gleaming, the first sign that a Moon Gate was near.

Shadow Link grinned again as he saw this, the blue glow from the Moon Pearl making his eyes seem brighter. Vio held the flower out in front of them, letting the Moon Pearl guide them to the Moon Gate.

It led them through tall grasses and across small swamps before it began to glow so brightly it nearly blinded them. After a few more steps, the Moon Pearl burst.

Small, glittering specs of dust fell to the ground as a Moon Gate appeared before them. Vio let go of the flower as he gazed at the small area of tile that developed in the muddy ground. A bright cerulean glow rose up from the tiles that sailed above their heads. The Moon Gate was complete. After a brief glance to one another, both Vio and Shadow Link stepped into the Moon Gate.

A blast of wind hit Vio in his face, stealing his breath away. Shadow Link was gone from his vision as a blue light swirled around him. Vio squinted and stood for as long as he could before the wind finally took him off his feet.

"Oof!" Vio felt like he was thrown flat on his back from the Moon Gate. With his head turned up, he stared at the strangely blurry, dull sky. Vio's fingertips felt the small blades of grass poking out of the ground that were strangely sharp.

Vio could barely remember the last time he had been in the Dark World, but he knew it wasn't a pleasant memory. And this place didn't seem to hold a promise for a better one.

The scenery was dark and oddly blurry, and everything seemed to be off. The tall grasses they had to march their way through were replaced with short stumpy blades. The thick leafy trees were no more; tall, bare trees now loomed over his head. The small bodies of water now held swirling waters - a whirlpool of sorts - that looked dangerous. The swamp had lost its welcoming charm.

Shadow Link, on the other hand, was taking it all in like a small country boy was seeing the city for the first time in his life. A smile overtook his face and his eyes were bright with excitement.

"Ah, it's good to be back!" He laughed. Vio walked to stand by him, catching his eye. He gave Shadow Link a small smile.

"Ok, what do we need to do here?" Vio asked. Shadow Link turned to Vio, his smile fading slightly.

"We'll need to start with finding the Grim Sols." Shadow Link said, his voice carrying a small tone of seriousness.

"Grim Sols?" Vio asked. Shadow Link nodded.

"Yeah, that book probably has everything you'd want to know about it," Shadow Link motioned towards Vio's adventure pouch. "But in short, Hyrule has a legend that long ago, the Ancient Ones sealed the three Grim Souls in existence here, to the Dark World because of all the damage it caused in the first place. Y'see, Grim Sols, when activated properly, can allow the dead to be seen again."

"So basically," Vio said, "These Grim Sols let people see ghosts."

"It's not that simple. See, only the person who activated the three Grim Sols can see the dead." Shadow Link said with a shake of his head. This made Vio confused.

"Then, what sort of problem did it make that was so big if only one person could see the ghosts?" Vio asked.

"Well," Shadow Link laughed momentarily, "The problem wasn't with him. It was with everyone else, the people who couldn't see the ghosts. The ghosts would cause trouble. Y'know, steal things, make people fly, possess people. And the people couldn't do a thing about it because they couldn't see them!"

Vio felt a burst of longing in his chest; excitement, even, at these words. _Shadow Link must've wished he could have been a part of that party,_ Vio thought with a grin.

"Ok," Vio said, taking it all in. "But if we activate these Grim Sols again, won't the ghosts just wreck havoc like they did in the past?"

"Not necessarily. They've been inactive for so long, it would take the ghosts a good century or two before they even get the power to possess a person." Shadow Link said, waving his hand dismissively. Vio huffed.

"Alright, so why will we need to talk to a ghost?" Vio questioned.

"Have you heard of the Great Fairy of Wind?" Shadow Link answered Vio's question with a question. Vio shook his head. He knew of the three Great Fairies of Forest, Ice, and Flame, but not Wind.

"Well, that's no surprise, she's been dead for ages now. She was a Great Fairy like the ones you know today, and like the ones you know, she granted whoever could find her an item. But this wasn't any ordinary item, it was a weapon. This weapon was greater than any weapon known to Hyrule - even the Four Sword," Shadow Link added when Vio glanced at his sword.

"What is it?" Vio asked, his curiosity rising. Shadow Link shrugged with a crooked smile on his face.

"No one knows what it looks like," He said with a sly tone. "because no one has ever seen it."

"Then how do we know this thing even exists?" Vio wondered aloud. Shadow Link motioned towards Vio's adventure pouch again.

"I'll bet you a thousand Rupees that it's in that book." Shadow Link said. Vio quickly extracted the book from his pouch, and opened it, searching for something about a 'Great Fairy of Wind'. To his surprise, it was actually in the book.

A picture of a Great Fairy with a sad expression was next to long paragraphs about the fairy. Skimming through the lines on the page, Vio saw mentions of an 'item of ultimate power' in the text.

"This thing does exist," Vio said, looking at the words on the page. "And if the author knows about it... He must have found this fairy, then. When she was alive. That's why no one knows about it, it's been in this book the whole time." Vio concluded, now looking at Shadow Link for confirmation.

"Right."

"So finding the Grim Sols and activating them,"

"Will let us see ghosts,"

"So we can find the Great Fairy of Wind,"

"Get her item,"

"And use it to how we see fit." Vio said with a grin.

"Hyrule will literally be in the palms of our hands." Shadow Link said, an evil gleam to his pale blue eyes.


	8. Chapter 8 - Frozen Souls

**Author's Note - Welp, here's chapter 8! Here, I'm trying a new writing strategy that I hope you guys like. This took me a while to write, it has lots of research in it actually. xD But, like always, I hope you guys enjoy. Review and follows (and favorites :o) are appreciated like A LOT. :D **

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"I don't know, alright?!" Blue finally snapped. "He just bolted, down to the swamp. He hasn't come back since. Stop giving me that look, Green!"

"You remember the last time we were split!" Green retorted, his blue eyes blazing. "Nothing good came out of it! And now you've let Vio just leave!"

Red held his hands over his ears while Green and Blue bickered. His legs were pulled close to his chest with his chin on top of his knees while he sat on his bed.

"It's not my fault he left!"

"You could've stopped him!"

"He was too fast!"

"No, you were too slow!"

"Guys, come on!" Red shouted, tearing his hands away from his ears. It was unlike Red to yell, making Blue and Green stop. "All we know is Vio left. None of us could've caught up to him. We've gotta go looking for him if we have any hope of getting him back, alright?" Green let out a sigh and Blue looked down at his feet. Though he was gentle, Red knew how to stop a fight.

"He's right," Green admitted, looking at Blue. "We shouldn't be wasting our time fighting if we can be looking for Vio."

"... Fine, whatever." Blue huffed, rolling his eyes. Back on his bed, Red sniffed.

"I'm glad you stopped," He said as a small glittering tear formed in the corner of his eye. "I don't like to see you guys fight." An empathetic smile appeared on Green's face, and he walked over to sit with Red.

"Sorry," He said, "Having Vio gone seems to have us on edge, huh?"

"Yeah," Red sniffed again, wiping away the tear. He turned to look up at Blue, who still had his eyes in a glare. It softened slightly when he saw Red's flushed face, but he crossed his arms angrily.

"Whatever," He growled, "I'll be outside when you two want to start doing something productive about this situation we're in." Blue said as he left the room. Green gave a hollow laugh.

"I don't think he'll ever change," Green said softly and nudged Red, "C'mon, we oughta follow him out." Red nodded, and hopped off the bed with Green, and they exited the room.

True to his word, Blue could be seen standing outside holding a lantern through the window that Green and Red passed before leaving the house. The waxing moon gave off little light whereas Blue's lantern provided enough light for the three of them. They set off towards the tall grasses where they last saw Vio.

They called for him as they searched through the tall grasses for any sign of their friend. But they didn't find Vio until they passed the taller grasses, and approached the outskirts of the swamp.

A small figure could be seen slumped against a thick tree. It looked strangely like Vio...

"Vio?" Red called, and Blue and Green quickened their pace. They ran up to the purple hero, and were surprised to see his clothes were completely soaked. His face was flushed, and he was shaking violently. His eyes were half closed, and his right hand was red with blood.

Red gasped at Vio's condition as Blue and Green rushed to help support Vio. He seemed to have little recognition that the two were supporting him. They helped Vio back to the house with Red leading the way, and by the time they're passed through the door, Vio was barely conscious.

They rested him on his bed as he shook, his pale blue eyes trained on something that wasn't there. Red placed a blanket around Vio that reduced his shivering. Green sat next to Vio on the bed, looking at him with concern.

"Vio," He said. Vio's eyes slowly looked up, and his head turned to look at Green. "What happened to you?"

_What happened to me?_ Vio chuckled slightly, his eyes becoming distant again.

"What happened to me..?" Vio repeated with a hollow tone, a sour smile on his face. What happened to him was a long story that he didn't have the energy to tell.

* * *

Long before, in the Dark World, Vio walked through thick vines hanging from the tall, bare trees, his nose in his book. Shadow Link walked beside him, looking out for any sort of danger that might cross their path. Vio was reading up on where they needed to find the Grim Sols again.

According to the book, the three Grim Sols that were sealed away in the Dark World were in the most remote places. One was in a cold arctic, another in a high mountain, and the last one was in a canyon. The arctic area was closes to them at the moment (it was to the Far East), so that was their destination. He put the book away when he was satisfied with the knowledge he had, and turned to Shadow Link.

"Looks like we're on the right path," He told him, "It'll take us a while to get there though." Vio had a slight frown on his face.

"Don't worry," Shadow Link said as he read Vio's thoughts about Green, Red, and Blue. "They won't worry about you too much."

"Yeah," Vio looked down, crestfallen. "They probably won't care if a rotten friend like me doesn't show up for hours." He sighed. Shadow Link glanced up at Vio quickly.

"No, no, not because of that," Shadow Link said swiftly. "Time passes much slower in the Dark World than it does in the Light World. The longer you stay in here, the less time out there. By how long we'll be traveling, you'll probably appear to be coming right back out to them."

Vio smiled, though his eyes still shone with sadness. You could tell that he felt as though he had lost something precious to him. Seeing (and feeling) this, Shadow Link put his hand on Vio's shoulder.

"Hey," He said softly. "Chin up. We gotta get this job done, yeah?" Shadow Link gave him a mischievous smile. Vio reflected it.

"Yeah, sure," He said seemingly half heartedly, but his face seemed to be lighter. The two traveled through the swamp (thankfully unharmed) to a rather bland area of small bodies of water. One who looked closely could see rolling hills in the distance. Vio walked towards the small ponds, looking intently at them. A certain small one that was lined with bright green moss caught Vio's attention.

"I think this is the one," Vio told Shadow Link. "We'll have to swim to the bottom of the pond. There should be something down there that'll lead us to the arctic area," Vio looked up at the scenery before them that held no hint of a snowy landscape. "Where ever that is."

Shadow Link stepped into the pool of water with Vio and waded out until their feet couldn't touch the bottom anymore. They took a great gulp of air, and dived down.

They swam down to the bottom of the shallow pond, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Almost instantly something stood out. Small bubbles were coming out of a gray rock that was fixed securely to the bottom of the pond. Vio glanced at Shadow Link, and dove down to move the rock to see what was under it. Shadow Link helped Vio, and together they unfastened the rock from its place. More bubbles escaped from underneath the rock as they continued to move it, and once it was free, the bubbles came more rapidly. They tossed the rock to the side to reveal a hole where all the bubbles were coming from. The two watched the cloud of bubbles rise up before it suddenly reversed without warning, and they were sucked into the hole.

It was a rough ride through the underwater tunnel. The current was quick and relentless, bouncing Vio against the rocky walls and knocking his breath out of his lungs. Through all the confusion of the coursing current, Vio didn't realize when he had reached the end until Shadow Link called his name. Vio forced himself up on his elbows, coughing up water. He felt bruised and exhausted from the ride through the tunnel, and when looking up he saw Shadow Link was as well.

Though he was bending down over Vio, cramped in the small tunnel, his back to the light beaming in, you could see his face was strained with pain from the ride as well. Vio pulled himself out of the swaying water and stood up, but bent his back like Shadow Link's against the low rocky ceiling.

"C'mon, the Grim Sol should be this way," Shadow Link said, motioning towards the source of the dim light. Vio gulped, and followed him out.

A blast of icy air slammed into Vio along with small drops of freezing snow. He held his arm out to shield himself from the snowy wind, seeing Shadow Link mimicking his actions. Vio felt the wind chill him to the bone; his wet clothes from swimming through the tunnel was taking its toll. The people who put the Grim Sols in the Dark World must have wanted to prevent anyone from obtaining the Grim Sol at any cost. Through the blizzard a faint blue glow was shining in the distance.

"The Grim Sol must be there! That's where we're headed!" Vio shouted over the wind, pointing at the glow. He was barely able to see Shadow Link nod, and the two started to force their way through the storm.

The wind howled in their ears as the snow pounded against them. Vio felt himself shake a great deal from so much shivering. His hands, ears, and nose were starting to sting as they pressed onward through the whiteout. The glow in the distance couldn't come soon enough...

Shadow Link turned, seeing Vio begin to slow behind him. This blizzard couldn't affect Shadow Link too much since he was a shadow. But for Vio, a person of the Light World, this must be horrible. He was stumbling against the harsh wind, his eyes squinted so sharply they were nearly closed. Shadow Link urged him onward as they neared the shining blue light.

That shining blue glow they had trudged through the blizzard for was a large tower that looked hauntingly similar to the front of Hyrule Castle. Shadow Link wondered briefly if the tunnel they had went through somehow sent them all the way to the far west where the Frozen Hyrule plains were, but he quickly found out that this tower was far different form the castle he thought it was.

Its doors opened on their own as they neared. Vio felt a rush of excitement and energy from Shadow Link that helped him go onwards. The two hurried inside, and like the way they opened, the doors sealed themselves shut behind them.

Vio felt his muscles relax slightly from the warmth that washed over him. He tried to rub the feeling back into his hands as he looked around the tower. The ceiling rose high up to a point with torches lining the walls. White tiles covered the floors making every foot step echo. Large stain glass windows high on the walls depicting a wintry storm made interesting reflections on the clean floor. And in the center of the room was a small pedestal with the Grim Sol perched on top.

He turned towards Shadow Link who had a grin on his face similar to his own. They walked to the structure with the Grim Sol on it. Vio's eyes widened when he saw the Sol. The pictures in the book were subpar compared to the real thing. On top of a cushion, a small dark purple crystal sort of ball sat, roughly twice the size of a Moon Pearl. It appeared to wrap around itself with crystal shards, making it an easy task to cut your finger if you held it too tightly. In the very heart of the Grim Sol a dim light glowed, making it seem otherworldly.

Shadow Link neared the Grim Sol, an evil gleam to his eye.

"Wait!" Vio said as Shadow Link made to pick up the Sol. His voice wavered from shivering. "Don't touch it. The book says it'll slice whatever comes in contact with it." Shadow Link retracted his hand at this.

"How are we supposed to take it with us then? To see the ghosts?" He asked, looking quizzically at Vio. He stepped up next to Shadow Link, nearer to the Grim Sol.

"Watch," Vio told him, and faced the Sol. "I seek to awaken you from your slumber." Vio said seemingly to the Grim Sol. And to Shadow Link's surprise, it answered him.

"_Thee who wish to curse thy eyes with sight of the fallen, present thy forfeit_." A voice came from the Grim Sol and echoed through the tall tower. Shadow Link watched Vio stretch his hand out near the Grim Sol. The Sol started to glow brighter, and a lightning bolt-like shape exploded from it, honing in on Vio's hand. Once the spark hit his hand, Vio flinched slightly. The bolt was gone as fast as it had appeared and the Grim Sol spoke again as Vio clutched the hand the bolt had hit. Blood started to drop steadily onto the white tiles from his hand.

"_Thee hast blighted thy eyes with the ken of the dead. Use thy virtue with enlightened knowledge_." After this, the Grim Sol stopped shining, and returned to its dull glow. Silence fell for a brief moment.

"Alright," Vio said, "It's safe to touch now." Shadow Link frowned slightly, and reached for the Grim Sol. He gingerly picked it up, careful not to hold it too tightly, and held it up to the light. He grinned slightly.

"Good. One down, two to go." Shadow Link looked over at Vio, a concerned expression taking over his face.

"How's your hand?" Vio shook his head. "It's fine, doesn't matter," Vio said, and looked back at the door. "Let's get going. We might as well go now rather that wait." Vio sighed slightly. Shadow Link could hear the bitterness in his voice. He was dreading going back out. Shadow Link smiled encouragingly at him.

"C'mon, we'll make it." He told Vio, who smiled weakly back at him. Shadow Link gave Vio the Grim Sol in his uninjured hand, and Vio placed it securely in his adventure pouch. They walked towards the doors, and like before, they opened for the two.

Exiting greeted them with the same harsh winds that followed them in. Vio shivered against the cold wind as he held his hand, struggling to keep his balance against the gusting blizzard. The trip back through the storm was worse than the first in Vio's opinion, and tumbling through the tunnel was torture. When it was all over, a very weak and exhausted Vio pulled himself onto the shore.

Shadow Link helped Vio out of the pond and onto the squishy moss. Vio's muscles screamed as he forced himself onto his feet, still shivering from the cold. Shadow Link slowed his pace so he could help Vio back to the Moon Gate.

Once they made it there, they quickly stepped through. Vio stumbled out into the world of Light, though it was darkened by nightfall. He looked up into the sky, and saw what Shadow Link said about time difference was true. The moon had hardly risen from where it was before Vio went into the Dark World.

"Ok, after you get your strength back, we'll head for the mountains," Shadow Link said in a hushed but serious voice. "I think they're looking for you, so I'll hide. Stay strong." Vio nodded, and Shadow Link slid back into his shadow. He swallowed, and headed away from the Moon Gate.

Getting through the swamp was rougher this time, and it was gladly cut short when he heard Green, Red, and Blue's voices calling through the trees. Vio rested against a tree, still shivering though the warm spring air swirled around him. His clothes dripped and his hand was sore, but his spirits were high. He waited there for the light from Blue's lantern to reach him...

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**Ending note- Hey there! :) This is just a quick little thing about the Grim Sol said. In modern English, it said something like-**

_**Thee who wish to curse thy eyes with sight of the fallen, present thy forfeit. **_

**You who wants to see the dead, present your payment.**

_**Thee hast blighted thy eyes with the ken of the dead. Use thy virtue with enlightened knowledge.**_

**You have cursed your eyes with the sight of the dead. Use your power wisely.**

**Hopefully this helped clear things up! :) The next chapter will be up soon.**


	9. Chapter 9 - Reaching the Peak

**Author's Note - Woah, a new chapter! :o! More and more thought is being put into these chapters as I write them, so I hope that you guys like them like that. :) **

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Green rested his mug down on the table. Light steam rose up to the ceiling from the cup. Blue sat across from him holding a mug himself, staring out the window. Stars dotted the dark sky, the few clouds that were in the sky illuminated by the moon. The kitchen was dimly lit by a few candles. Blue sighed and set his mug down.

"Whatever he thinks he's doing, he better stop." He growled. "He's wrecking himself..." Blue scratched the back of his neck in thought. "I mean... He looked miserable when we found him."

Green simply frowned. He had been worried about Vio for awhile now. Ever since he came back that day covered in blood. Something is wrong, and whatever it was, Vio was facing it alone. The thought of this made Green clench his teeth. He knew they worked better together- as a team. Green wanted to help Vio in whatever he was dealing with, but while he was recovering, he wouldn't be able to ask him anything at the moment.

Green picked up his cup and drank from it again. He could feel the warm tea travel down his throat and into his stomach. It was calming somehow. Blue shook his head, looking outside again.

"Don't worry," Green told Blue. "He'll come around."

"How do you know?" Blue snapped, turning quickly to look at Green and slamming his fist on the wooden table. "You saw him! He might as well be at death's door! How many people do we know survived hypothermia?" He said, his voice shaking slightly.

"Blue," Green started, "there's nothing we can do but hope. This is Vio's battle, not ours." He said. Blue looked down.

"... I know," Blue said in a soft, bitter tone. "I just hate not being able to do anything."

Green nodded silently, knowing the feeling. He didn't know what he would do if Vio would be gone forever... Or how the others would survive without their educated half.

Upstairs, Red watched Vio's chest slowly rise and fall in slumber in fear it would suddenly stop. He was resting silently, but Red was still worried. He knew very well that few people lived through hypothermia, and Vio's chances seemed to be slim. And with his eyes closed and laying in such a still position, he almost looked-

Red shook his head and looked away. He didn't want to think about that. He climbed back into his bed and crawled under the covers. Blue's and Green's voices rose up from the kitchen, and Red wondered briefly if they were fighting again. But he didn't have the energy to worry about that when most of his thoughts were on Vio. He let his eyes slowly sag until they closed, drifting into a dreamless slumber.

But Vio, on the other hand, was dreaming. Dreaming of nothing but the same thing, over and over. All he saw was Shadow Link's face saying 'Stay strong,' and the Grim Sol that he held in his adventure pouch. He knew he had to awaken, he had to live. He had to...

Vio didn't know how long ago he had opened his eyes. He sat there, blinking slowly, wondering what happened...

Then it hit him. Well, to be more specific, swamps, Grim Sols, Shadow Link, and blizzards hit him. Memory of everything that had happened. He sat up, feeling sore. He looked down at his right hand to see it bandaged and blood stained. He gently unwrapped the bandages to see a wide cut through his right palm. It was still red and stinging with pain, so it must not have been too long since he got there.

Swinging his feet over the bed, Vio made an effort to stand up. But it felt like his legs were made of jelly, and simply refused to support him. He sat back down on the bed, angry with how weak he was.

This time, he used his nightstand to help himself up. He was still pretty wobbly, but Vio managed to uphold himself fairly well. He used the wall to help him reach the door, and opened it quietly. It was only then that he realized that only Blue was sleeping in the room. _Green and Red must be elsewhere,_ Vio thought. _Downstairs, maybe..._ Something about his mindset didn't want to worry about it at the moment, so he simply left the room and headed downstairs.

As he entered the kitchen, Vio could hear voices coming from outside. Looking out the window, he saw Green sitting with Red on the bench. Their voices carried through the wooden walls.

"Blue should be watching him now..." He heard Red say. Vio assumed they must be talking about him.

"Then why don't you sleep?" Green asked. "You've watched him all yesterday, you should get some rest." He suggested. Vio saw Red shake his head.

"Nah, I don't feel like it," He saw Red shrug. "He might be resting, but still... I don't know if he..." Red fell silent after this. Vio felt guilt stirring up in his stomach. Red was in such a worried state and he was just going to leave...

Vio sighed. He couldn't do that to Red. But he also couldn't tell them what really happened to him, a question that was bound to come up if he went outside and talked to them. So instead, Vio turned around, and left the house through the back door.

Small dew drops sparkled in the dawn sunlight as a crisp morning breeze shook them free. Birds in the trees and sky sang their soft song, alerting the world the sun was up.

Vio stepped through the wet grass and headed for the Moon Gate hidden in the swamp. Shadow Link was out almost instantly when Vio passed through the Moon Gate into the Dark World. He helped Vio lean against a tall tree.

"How long was I out?" Vio asked Shadow Link.

"Not long," He answered. "Are you sure you're ready to travel?" Shadow Link wondered. Vio gulped.

"No, but the exercise should do me good." Vio said, a crooked smile on his face. "We'll get there." Shadow Link smiled at this, and Vio got up from the tree.

"If we're going to the mountains this time, we need to go north." Shadow Link said. "Right?" Vio nodded.

"Yeah, we'll find another tunnel of sorts to get there like the one to the arctic." Vio pulled his book out to look at the page on Grim Sols. The directions in the paragraph mentioned another tunnel leading to the mountains where the Grim Sol was located. After rereading the paragraphs, Vio put the book back, looking up at Shadow Link. They were ready.

The two of them traveled north from the Moon Gate, passing rolling hills and streams. Soon the terrain showed a rocky climate and a cloudless sky. They started to look for anything out of the ordinary, like last time. It was difficult to find the tunnel this time, what with no bubbles to clearly give the location if the tunnel.

They only managed to find it when shifting rocks; Vio felt a breeze coming from under one. Vio moved the rock aside with help from Shadow Link. Wind blew out from under the rock, revealing the tunnel they had been looking for. And like last time, the current of the winds changed, and the two were sucked in.

The wind carried them through the rocky tunnel at a fast pace. It was rough, like the last time, and ended with them bruised. Vio was shot out of the tunnel and onto the ground. Something wet was pelting him from above, and looking up, raindrops landed in his eyes.

Rain was falling down in heavy, fast sheets, the sky was cloudy and ominous, and thunder roared in the distance. He stood up, looking for Shadow Link.

Shadow Link was looking up at the mountain before them. Vio traced his line of sight to see a treacherously tall mountain with storm clouds swirling around it. Small flashes of lightning appeared near the heart of the storm. Vio could tell that Shadow Link knew the peak of the mountain was their target.

They shielded themselves from the rain, and walked to the edge of the peak. Climbing the mountain was a chore. The rain made the rocks slippery and difficult to hold on to. All the water in their eyes blurred their eyesight. And Vio's weak muscles, though strengthened from their trek, were still recovering from hypothermia.

It was a terribly long climb, but they managed to reach the top. Vio hauled himself up onto the flat piece of land on top of the mountain where it was surprisingly dry. Looking up, he realized that they were in the eye of the storm. He stood up wobbly, trying to find Shadow Link. He saw the dark Link standing before him, looking in front of the two. Vio turned and saw a tower that looked just like the blue one back in the arctic area where they found the first Grim Sol, but this one was a bright ruby color.

Vio went to stand by Shadow Link, and saw that he had a smile on his face similar to his own. They hurried inside, eager to find another Grim Sol.

Within the tall building, the tower had the same white tiles along the floor, and similar stain glass windows depicting a thunderstorm. It had the same pedestal in the same spot, and a Grim Sol placed just where it was in the last tower. The Grim Sol, with the same dull glow in the center, spoke like the last time they spoke to it.

"I seek to awaken you from your slumber," Vio told it.

"Thee who wish to curse thy eyes with sight of the fallen, present thy forfeit." It responded with a brighter glow. Vio placed his hand out again near the Sol, and a bolt-like light struck his hand again. He flinched like last time, and blood dripped onto the white tiles.

"Thee hast blighted thy eyes with the ken of the dead. Use thy virtue with enlightened knowledge." The Grim Sol stopped growing brightly, and became silent again. Shadow Link picked up the Grim Sol with a gleam in his eyes. He gave it to Vio, who placed it in his adventure pouch. He heard it clink next to its brother.

"Let's get out of here," Shadow Link said.

"The canyon is last, right?" At this, Vio nodded. "Then we'll head there next."

"The last Grim Sol should end up being the most difficult to obtain, though," Vio warned. "We'll have to use caution."

"Then you better recover before we go." Shadow Link said. "That cut is starting to look pretty nasty." He said, looking at Vio's hand. The reopened gash was red with blood, and was starting to burn. Vio swallowed, and nodded silently. They turned, and headed out the doors that opened for them.

Going down the mountain was easier than climbing up. It gave Vio's muscles a break. But descending with the use of only one good hand was slowing Vio. He knew that one miss placed foot would lead to a terrible fall. But as the end of the mountain neared, Vio felt a rush of relief. One more step and-

The next thing Vio knew was that he was lying flat on his back, unable to breathe. Rain covered his face as he struggled to sit up. Looking at where he once was, he realized that he must have fallen from a few foot holds up, and gotten the breath knocked out of him. He stood up, brushing the dirt and rocks off of his back, and saw Shadow Link jumping down from his foot hold to rush over to Vio.

"You ok?" He asked breathlessly. Vio looked at him, and saw that he must have felt his fall as well, and was struggling to breathe like him.

"Yeah, just lost my footing. С'mon, let's go." Vio said dismissively. Shadow Link nodded, and they headed back for the tunnel. Like last time, it sucked them through a current of winds, and back out where they started in the rocky terrain.

The two traveled back to the Moon Gate. Vio was personally glad to escape this time with only his injured hand and some bruises. Shadow Link fell back into Vio's shadow as he entered the world of Light.

As Vio stepped through the trees, he felt something odd. His face was burning slightly. His face, his hands, his neck- anything that was touching sunlight. He felt a cold sweat dotting his forehead. Why was the light hurting him? _Maybe it was all the time you've been spending in the Dark Word,_ he heard a small voice suggest. He would accept anything at the moment; anything but him becoming a living shadow.

Ignoring the burn, Vio proceeded to his home, and was glad when he finally got inside. He noticed that Red and Green were still sitting outside, talking. Not much time seemed to have passed since he left. Not wanting to go back to sleep yet, he sat down at the kitchen table, his mind in thought about the whole burning in the sunlight thing, and wondered briefly if he was a vampire.

But his humorous thoughts were interrupted as Blue stomped down the stairs. He dashed out the door so quickly that he didn't even see Vio sitting at the table. He looked as though he had just woke up.

"Guys, Vio's gone again!" He heard Blue say in a worried tone. Vio groaned. Did he really not see him sitting at the table?

"What?!" He heard Green's voice ask as Vio walked towards the door.

"How could you lose him?" Red's voice was now rising with worry and anger.

"I sort of fell asleep..." Blue admitted. Vio had his hand on the door knob.

"You fell asleep?! How did-" Vio stepped outside, causing Red to stop talking. The sunlight burned him again, but he ignored it.

"Guys, I'm right here." Vio said monotonously. They all stared at Vio for a moment in shock and relief, making Vio smile softly. He was taken aback when Red suddenly hugged him, tears in his eyes.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" He sobbed, "I- I thought you were gonna die!" Vio awkwardly patted Red's back, trying to reassure him.

"Hey, it's fine, I'm alright now, see?" Vio said, smiling at him. Red released his hold on him, and sniffed, a smile on his face as well.

"Yeah, yeah I know..!" Red rubbed the tears off his cheeks as Blue gave a sigh of relief.

"But Vio," Green said, looking at him with a smile on his face. "How'd you recover so quickly? And your hand," He looked down at Vio's bloodstained hand. "What happened to it?"

Vio gulped, knowing that this would come. Questions they asked needed answers, answers that he couldn't allow to be true. _Keep it vague_, he heard Shadow Link say.

"It's just a cut," Vio said, trying to make it look unimportant. "It only reopened. And I don't know how I recovered so easily..." Vio looked away with a distant look in his eye, trying to make himself look confused about the whole matter as they were. "But it doesn't matter. I'm here now, and alive, and that's what counts, right?" He grinned at them. Green smiled back, and Blue nodded.

"Right," Green said. "Come on, let's but a new bandage on your hand." He said, heading for the door. Vio agreed, and walked back inside, feeling as though he was getting close to his family again just to leave them behind.


	10. Chapter 10 - So Close

**Author's Note- Wow, what a lame wait for this chapter! xox; I apologize for my lack of activity. But nonetheless, here is your chapter 10! Reviews, follows, favorites, and everything in between are appreciated a ton. :) Look out for the next chapter that promises to have a lot of more action! :D **

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Vio frowned slightly as Green wrapped the bandage around his injured hand. Though he was one of the heroes that saved Hyrule, journeyed across the land, and did all these amazing things, Green didn't really have a touch for gentleness. Once the bandage was wrapped tightly around his hand, Green secured it, and let it go. After it was free of his grip, Vio watched the cream colored bandage turn red with blood.

"Now that you're back safe, we should tell Zelda. She's been awfully worried about you." Green told Vio as he put up the bandages.

"Alright," Vio replied. He knew it was going to take time for his hand to heal, so why not spend it visiting Zelda? "Oh hey, where's Father by the way?" He asked, suddenly remembering his father's absence for the past few days.

"He's been on duty at Castle Town for awhile. Apparently there's been some outbreak of Moblins there or something. Angry about something, probably. I asked Father if he wanted any help, but he said that Moblins weren't a big deal." Green responded. Vio felt as if his blood had frozen. Could it be his fault that the Moblins were raging? The book that he had stolen from them seemed so long ago now. It's possible that their pack of sorts became angry...

"Vio?" Green's voice jolted Vio back to the presence. Green bore a slightly concerned look as he saw Vio.

"Yeah, let's go see Zelda." Vio recovered, and got up from where he was sitting. Heading towards the door, he noticed that Blue and Red were still outside on the bench.

"Hey," Vio said to them as he went outside. "We were thinking of going to see Zelda today." He explained to them. Red's face lit up like a star in the dark sky whereas Blue simply smiled wider than he normally does.

"That sounds so fun! Let's go, let's go now!" Red bounced happily back to the stables around the house with Blue trailing behind him. The thought of taking a horse somewhere briefly seemed bizarre to Vio with all the walking he has been doing lately. But, regardless, he joined Blue and Red in the stables as they waited for Green to appear. Green came around to the stables a bit after, saying he had to clean the rest of the bandages up. Vio mounted the brown horse with Blue, and Red climbed on the other horse they were taking with Green. Once they were on securely, the two horses galloped towards the road to Castle Town.

Hyrule Castle loomed above their heads as Green, Red, Blue, and Vio passed through the gates to Castle Town. Like every other day, the town was alive with busy people. Some rushing along the streets and others carrying large boxes and bags, the town never saw a dull day. The four stopped by the bridge that lead to the castle and got off their horses. Looking up, Vio saw the large towers of Hyrule Castle touching the sky, bathed in sunlight that he used to find beautiful. Now he sees the sunlight uncomfortable, and finds himself hiding behind shadows whenever he can.

_A lot has changed since I was last here,_ Vio realized. _I'd better not trip again._ Vio heard Shadow Link's laughter in his head as he and the others crossed the stone bridge to Hyrule Castle. The knights on guard near the entrance to the castle didn't bother to stop them from entering, but rather nodded to them with a smile. The four Link's faces have become known across Hyrule since Vaati's fall was credited to their heroic actions, making being searched and questioned before before going into Hyrule Castle unnecessary.

As they navigated through the extravagant castle, Vio's mind began to wander off in thought. The tall walls and beautiful stain glass windows reminded him immensely of the towers that he would go into to find a Grim Sol. With two down and one to go, the three Sols were so close to being in his grasp. The same longing he had when he first read about the Grim Sols' power flared inside Vio again. The dead Fairy of Wind that would grant whoever could find her an unimaginable power. Just thinking about it made him-

"Zelda!" Red's excited call for the princess caused Vio to jump back to the present. The Grim Sols and the Great Fairy of Wind were wiped from his mind as he set eyes on Zelda. She was sitting quietly at her desk, her head lowered and eyes narrowed in concentration as she wrote with her quill. At the cry of her name, Zelda looked up, and as she saw the four Links standing there, her tightened eyes softened, and a warm smile came on her face.

"Hello, Red." Zelda said, standing up and looking at the others. When she spotted Vio among them, she gasped, and hurried over to him. "Vio!" She said as she threw her arms around him in a compassionate hug, taking Vio by surprise. "Thank the Gods you're okay. I was so worried!" The last time Zelda had touched him was awhile ago when he bore the Moblin injuries and was stuck in bed. She had held his hand there, and he remembered the odd and painful sensation of burning that left with her touch. So now, Zelda's hug that she gave Vio felt like a smoldering fire. Pain along with the suddenness of the scorching feeling made Vio flinch and choke, his face tightening with the effort to not immediately push Zelda away. Zelda, who seemed to have noticed Vio's stiff stature, broke away from the hug to look at him with concerned eyes.

"Are you alright? Are you still hurt somewhere..?" She wondered out loud.

"Ah, no, I just-" Vio started, but Blue interrupted him.

"He's still recovering from hypothermia. He's probably still got weak and sore muscles." Blue said. If there was another time Vio had felt more affectionate towards Blue, he didn't know when. He had just provided Vio with the perfect excuse. Though it was true, his muscles were still weak and sore, he had learned to ignore it by the time they made it to Hyrule Castle.

"Hypothermia?" Zelda echoed, the concern in her eyes becoming larger. And as Vio feared confusion displayed in her cerulean eyes.

"Yeah, but I'm alright now," Vio said before Zelda could speak again. "Nothing to worry about. How have you been?" He asked, eager to get the subject off his strange injuries. Zelda, not seeming to mind, started talking about her day.

"I've been stuck up here all morning, and honestly, I'm getting quite bored." Zelda said with a longing look out her window.

"Then how about we go outside? In the meadow with all the flowers?" Green suggested. One could see excitement flare in Zelda's eyes, but they were quickly quelled.

"You know I would love to, but the guards won't let me out of here." Zelda replied, "Besides, there's still a lot of work to do."

"Ah, you can do it later!" Blue said, waving his hand dismissively. "And the guards are no sweat. We'll get you past 'em before they can say 'Rupee'."

"Well," Zelda started, walking away from her desk and towards the door, "I suppose there's only one option then!" With grins on their faces, the five of them left the office room in a quiet haste.

Through the hallways they dashed, keeping out if sight from guards by distracting them with various means. At a certain guard of a large stature, Red pretended to trip, and wailed like a child, clutching his foot. At another guard, this one fairly tall, Blue started to bad mouth him, and made a sufficient distraction. When Zelda and the others made it past him and Blue rejoined the group, Zelda thumped him in the forehead for his foul language. After getting through all the guards and corridors, the group finally found their way through the back of the castle and outside. Through some bushes and trees they traveled until they made it to the very meadow they were searching for. Zelda, happy to be able to taste freedom again joyfully knelt by the delicate flowers.

"Oh, it's been far too long since I've been here." She said with a smile on her face. Vio, not wanting to be in the sunlight, leaned against a tree in the shadows casually as Zelda talked with Blue, Red, and Green. Vio listened to them talking about what was going on in the castle, what was happening in the town, and how they wished they could see each other more often. He also heard Shadow Link's scoffs at how childish they were. What Vio wasn't expecting to hear was Zelda's shrill scream of terror.

Looking up, Vio saw four large Moblins charging through the surrounding trees. Two held spears while the other two held bows. Fury was blazing in there eyes as they aimed to swing at Zelda, but Blue got her out of the way. Vio stepped out of the shadows, ready to help, but as soon as he moved toward the Moblins and gained their attention, they stopped in their tracks. Vio felt a cold sweat drip down his neck as he saw recognition flash in their small eyes.

With a roar, the four Moblins charged at Vio without warning. Taken by surprise at their sudden change of attack, Vio drew his sword to defend himself as a Moblin tackled him too the ground. But the monster wasn't able to do any damage to him since the Moblin was already knocked off by Green's swing of his sword.

Back on his feet again, Vio worked with Blue and Green to drive the agitated Moblins away. With the three of them working together, it was an easy task. Soon, the four beasts were running away from them with fresh wounds to keep them at bay for awhile. Turning, Vio saw Blue heading back towards Red who had protected Zelda through the fight, and Green staring into the path the Moblins took to get away from them.

"That was weird," Green panted, "Why'd they come here? And why did they go after you?" Though the question was directed at Vio, Green was still staring off into space, seemingly asking the question to himself. Regardless, Vio gave a shrug, and turned to check on Zelda. She looked a little roughed up, possibly from all the shoving her out of the way, but she didn't appear to be hurt. Her face wasn't tightened with pain, but rather slightly red from an angered expression.

"Those beasts! How dare they interrupt our nice afternoon? And it was going so well..." She muttered bitterly, standing up and brushing the dust off her pale dress. "We should return to the castle. I expect someone should have noticed my absence by now." She said to the four of them. With a reluctant agreement, they brought the princess back to her office the way they came. By then, her temper had gone down, and she was in a much more jovial state.

"I can't thank you enough for getting me outside without the guards noticing. We should do it again sometime." Zelda told them with a smile.

"Definitely." Green replied. "We'll see you again soon, Zelda."

"G'bye Zelda!" Red said with a joyful smile.

"See you, Zelda." Blue said.

"Bye," Vio simply muttered as they all left the room. They exited the castle the way they had first entered it. The sun was a pale orange as it started to decline in the sky behind brightly lit clouds. The people in town were just as busy as they were when they arrived. It seemed that everyone had something to do, somewhere to go. The four of them found the horses they had took, and mounted them again. The brown horses looked as if they were eager to be moving again as they galloped out of Castle Town.

Vio felt relief wash over him as he stepped inside the house. The sun was now only peeking over the horizon, leaving little sunlight to reach him. The day felt especially long to him. With Zelda's hug and the constant sunlight burning him along with his frail (but healing) muscles, he felt exhausted. He sat at the table with Green as Blue and Red prepared their dinner. When a plate of poorly chopped carrots (probably Red's doing) and salad that was burned on the edges (most likely at Blue's hand), Vio smiled softly. With Blue and Red now at the table with their own plates of marred food, Vio sensed a feeling of family that he hadn't had in a long time. Eating at the table together might be a small thing, but it had a strong impact on him from being away from them for so long.

When the plates were clear of their damaged food, the four of them headed up the steps to their bedroom. Vio sat on his bed as the others removed their boots and hats, examining his hand. He delicately unwrapped the bandage to see that his hand was still glowing red from the cuts, but not as painful as it was that morning. Hope sparked inside Vio when he saw this, thinking that he would soon be able to go hunting for the next Grim Sol.

With his boots and hat off, Vio crawled under the covers, his mind still running on the thought of the Grim Sol. With his eyes closed, he imagined what the third tower would look like, what stain glass windows it would have, what trials he would have to face...

Without knowing, Vio fell into a dream. He was standing alone in a dim field of grass. The moon shined soft beams of light down onto the field, illuminating the small dew drops on each blade. After taking a few steps, confusion filled Vio. He didn't know why he was there, or what was going on. Shadow Link emerged from his shadow in a seemingly confused state as well. Once they had walked a fair distance away from where they had started, a puff of smoke erupted to Vio's right. Zelda emerged from the smoke with a large rock in her hands.

"Vio!" She called to him. "I have a package for you!" She held up the rock, motioning that it was the package for Vio. She didn't seem to notice Shadow Link floating behind Vio as he walked towards her.

"What, you mean the rock?" Vio asked, approaching her. Once they were close enough, Zelda dropped the rock into Vio's arms. It was remarkably heavy, making him stumble to hold it.

"Open it, I made it myself!" Zelda said eagerly, smiling up at him. Lost and wondering how exactly Zelda could have made a rock, Vio examined the rock, looking for some sort of opening. But it appeared to be a normal rock.

"How am I supposed to open this?" Vio questioned. He squinted his eyes as he struggled to analyze the rock; it was difficult with such little light.

"Oh, give it here!" Zelda said, taking the rock out of his hands. "Links, I swear, they're all stupid!" She muttered under her breath. Vio raised his eyebrows as Zelda screwed up her face before spitting onto the rock. Her drool rolled down the rock, revealing a hinge and a crease around the rock.

"There." Zelda said, forcing the rock back into Vio's hands. With a frown on his face and fairly grossed out, Vio tentatively reached to open the rock. He opened it slowly, uncertain of what was inside. After raising the lit of the rock up a few millimeters, it flung itself open. Inside the rock floated a small ball of light that looked like the sun. Bright sunlight filled the field, making everything radiant. The contact with the glistening light burned Vio, making him drop the rock onto the grass. Shadow Link growled and retreated back into Vio's shadow, feeling the burning sensation himself. Zelda picked the rock back up and held it out to Vio who was trying to block the sun's rays.

"What's wrong? Don't you like my gift?" Zelda asked, shoving the rock closer to his hands that tried to shield the sunlight pouring out of the rock. He was burning all over. Everywhere the light was touching was burning... Burning...

Vio snapped his eyes open, but squinted them quickly from the sunlight. Though his dream was gone, the burning wasn't. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was bathed in sunlight from the nearby window. He had apparently kicked his blankets off to the side from his dream. Rubbing his eyes, he reached down and pulled his blankets back over him. Coolness replaced the rough burning from the sun, making him sigh with relief. Whatever was causing him burn in the sunlight was becoming stronger, and Vio realized that would make it more difficult to hide. He needed to get into the Dark World soon. The quicker they found that Grim Sol, the better.

Vio stepped out of the bed, struggling to ignore the burning on his back, and put his boots and hat on. Grateful to see that the others were still sleeping, Vio quickly left the room. Turning through the kitchen he slipped outside. Though the burning was worse out in the sun bathed field, he quickly made it through the trees and into the shadows. Once he mead it to the Moon Gate, Shadow Link came out of his shadow.

"Are you ready to get the last Grim Sol?" He asked, hovering beside Vio.

"Better sooner than later." Vio responded,and stepped into the Dark World. He knew he was ready.

What Vio didn't know though, was that Green was lurking in the trees behind him, seeing every move he had made.


	11. Chapter 11 - A Golden Chance

Author's Note- Hey everyone, a new chapter comes along the horizon! :o Spring Break has been certainly busy, giving me little time to write (But it was sooo fun). But, here it is! Hope you guys enjoy. Reviews and such are much appreciated. :)

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Green wasn't sure if his eyes were working correctly. Did he just witness Vio with Shadow Link? And why on earth was there a Moon Gate opened? What business did they have in there? With unsure with questions coming from all sides, Green hurried back to the house. This was something he wasn't going to let lie. He rushed into the house and up the stairs. He didn't know how long he had until Vio came back, and he was sure he didn't want to be caught. Heading over to the beds, Green awoke Red and Blue; Red getting up easily, and Blue still putting up a fight. Rolling his eyes, Green paced as he waited for Blue to get a hold of himself whereas Red was already sitting up with his boots and hat on.

"So what happened to Vio this time?" Red asked, his voice though dull from sleep was laced with interest.

"He- wait, what do you mean 'this time'?" Green asked suddenly, confused by Red's choice of words.

"Well, Vio seems to be our conversation topic a good half of the time." Red responded with a shrug. "He's livin' in the spotlight!" He laughed, the seriousness from his eyes gone.

"C'mon Red, stop actin' like a kid." Blue mumbled. He was finally sitting with his boots and hat on as well.

"Says the guy who doesn't get up when he's called!" Red shot back, a grin on his face.

"Hey, I have a two minute delay, I can't do anything about that." Blue said while he rubbed his eyes.

"You two can bicker later, this is important." Green told them as he brought his pacing to a halt. "Vio's left again, and I spotted him with Shadow Link while going through a Moon Gate." The reaction to Green's words was mingled. Blue had a surprised expression that quickly turned to a hard glare. Red on the other hand bore a shocked face as well, but it morphed into excitement and glee.

"So Shadow Link is still alive?" Red squealed, looking hopefully at Green and Blue.

"He might be alive, but that doesn't mean we can trust him." Blue responded, shaking his head.

"That's right," Green concurred, "We don't know what Shadow Link is doing, or why he is here."

"But he broke the Dark Mirror," Red rebutted, the hope escaping from his eyes. "He was on our side in the end."

"He's done more bad than good," Blue said bitterly. Green nodded at this. "The question is, what's he doing with Vio?" Green said, now looking down and pacing again.

"Y'know, those two are too clever for their own good. I'll bet you they're carrying out some sort of plan." Blue said, getting up.

"But for what?" Green sighed, shaking his head. "And can we still trust Vio?"

"Well, sure..." Red said. "Maybe Shadow Link is making him do this, like kind control or something. That would explain his weird behavior and suspicious attitude."

"Well if that's the case, we've gotta help him somehow!" Blue growled, his hand clenched in a fist.

"Guys, we don't know that," Green started, but before he could say anything else, Blue interrupted him.

"Come _on_ Green, it makes sense! With all these injuries he's coming back with, I'll bet Shadow Link is forcing him to go throw himself in harms way." Blue confounded as he punched his fist onto the pillow in anger.

"What? Green, we have to help him!" Red whined, easily turned to Blue's side. "What if that's not the case? What if we're looking at this all wrong?" Green said, turning to look at Red and Blue.

"But what if it is? What if we were right all along, and we couldn't help him because you just said-"

"Alright, alright, fine!" Green said above Red, cutting him off. "Fine. If that is what's going on... Then how are we supposed to help him?" Green asked. Silence finally fell on the room as they thought of some way to help Vio. After some thinking, Blue gasped.

"I know!" He said, grinning. As Green asked what, Blue ran over to Vio's bed, looking all around it for something. With confused faces watching him, Blue started to pull out every book in Vio's nightstand.

"What are you doing?" Green asked, nearing the bed along with Red. "There's bound to be something in these books he reads about shadows and stuff," Blue said as he looked through the drawers. Green rested on the railings by the bed while Red looked under the bed.

"Hey guys," Red called to them as he got up from under the bed. He came up holding Vio's adventure pouch. "How about we look in here?" Green said, "No, that's his personal things." just as Blue said, "Perfect!" Green glared at Blue as he took the pouch from Red and opened it. He peered inside the pouch before finally sticking a hand down in it. After some rustling, Blue's hand came back out revealing a dark and worn book in his gasp. Grinning, Vio put the pouch back on the bed and examined the book.

"Is that all that's in there?" Red asked curiously, looking as if he would try to grab the pouch.

"There are some shiny things on the bottom, but I'm pretty sure they're just rocks. Hey Green, can you tell what this says?" Blue showed Green the cover of the book that had Ancient Hylian written across the top As he tossed the pouch to the side. Green, though not wanting to study that was anything of Vio's, gave the book a look.

"Nah, I can't read it... Normally I would be asking Vio what it meant." Green responded with a hollow laugh. Blue's mouth twitched with the start of a smile, and he opened the book, abandoning the hope of discovering what the title was. With Green looking over his shoulder, Blue flipped through the book, pausing every once in awhile to read something.

"What is this..?" Blue said breathlessly as he continued to turn the page. The next page he turned had a corner bent down. Green blinked in surprise as he read the heading about something called 'Grim Sols'.

"You don't think..." Blue muttered after reading the paragraph about the strange things himself.

"That this is what Shadow Link is looking for?" Green ended, his eyes narrowed. "I think it is." Green heard Blue gulp at his words. "But why would they want something to..." Blue read a sentence again. "Talk to dead people? That's just creepy."

"Wisdom can come from many places, Blue." Green said.

"What about a toilet?"

"... We're getting off topic."

"Oww!" A cry of pain came from behind them. Both Blue and Green turned around to see Red holding his left hand in his right, blood going down his wrist and Vio's pouch thrown to the side.

"What did you do?" Green asked, concern filling his blue eyes.

"I dunno, I just tried to get whatever was down in the pouch..." Red whimpered, looking down at his hand with small tears in his eyes.

"Go wash up then," Blue growled, "We're trying to figure this out." Red glared at Blue as Green gave him an apologetic smile. Red left the room, still holding his hand and sniffing. After reading the page about the strange 'Grim Sols', Blue turned a few more pages, but didn't bother to read any of them, his mind still was spinning from the new information on the dark objects that allowed someone to see the dead.

"Hey," Green said, taking a closer look at the book that was open to a page on a strange plant that would eat only your ears.

"If this book has all these strange things, maybe it has something on how to get rid of shadows." He squinted down at the pages as Blue turned them again, now looking for something, anything, to stop a shadow. He continued to flick through the pages, faster and faster, skimming the heading. Green's hopes started to fall as they reached the end of the book. Blue hopefully turned the last page, and to their surprise, held the exact thing they were looking for.

"'Shade Serum'," Blue read from the page. "Sounds promising." The paragraphs tell of an old potion that would rid any person who was cursed with a shadow of that shadow. Some details are scratched out and replaced with others,suggesting that someone had actually used the concoction. Green smiled slightly.

"This could actually work."

* * *

Vio, unaware of Greens presence, had passed through the Moon Gate without a second thought. Shadow Link hovered beside him as he passed through the vines, heading towards the canyons that the book had mentioned. With this being the last of the Grim Sols he needed to find, Vio traveled quicker. Thick clouds gathered in the sky as he neared the canyon. By the time they found the portal area to the canyon, the sky was an ominous dark gray color. A sense of foreboding stung Vio as he inspected these clouds.

"Probably just the Dark World noticing this is our last one." Shadow Link said, "It can perceive things like this." Vio nodded, having a new appreciation for the Dark World. Honestly, he was starting to feel more at home in the Dark World rather than the World of Light. It was an odd recognition for him, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was true. Shadow Link pulled Vio out of his thoughts as he rushed over to a large tree stump.

Vio knelt down and felt that a breeze was coming out from under the stump, and grinned. He and Shadow Link managed to push the great stump over. The wind blew out along with leaves and twigs. Confused, Vio inspected a leaf that fluttered near his face as the current of the wind changed and revered as usual, sucking the both of them inside. As soon as they plummeted into the tunnel, Vio quickly discovered where exactly the leaves and twigs had came from.

Vines and plants lined the edge of the tunnels walls. Squinting his eyes open from the thick plants, Vio realized that the plants had small, sharp thorns poking out of the stems. He held his arms out on front of him in a feeble effort to protect himself from the thorns, but as he was tossed about the tunnel in the gales, the sharp spines found ways to scratch and cut him. To his relief, a small light started to appear at the end of the hole. Instead of having to climb out of the burrow as usual, Vio found himself falling through the tunnel. He ended up falling through the hole and landing out onto a flat rocky surface, Shadow Link falling next to him.

"Oof," Vio grunted, rubbing his left elbow where he had landed. He looked around him to see a pale red rocky area with a wide canyon dipping down just next to him. A small river ran at the very base of the canyon with gray rocks standing out against the light blue water. Vio looked up, surprised to see a bright and clear sky above them. Puffy white clouds sailed calmly next to a blinding white sun, making Vio shield his pale blue eyes from the harsh glare. He noticed something else as well. The tunnel that they had fallen through to get there was no where to be seen. There was nothing but blue sky and clouds.

"Where did we come from?" Vio wondered out loud, examining the sky above them. Shadow Link stared upward at his words, putting up a hand to his eyes to conceal them from the bright sunlight.

"That's weird," Shadow Link said, looking around. "The tunnel is gone."

"How will we get back?" Vio questioned, turning to look at Shadow Link with blinking eyes. He simply shrugged.

"Dunno, but we'll worry about that later." Shadow Link pulled his eyes away from the vivid blue sky, and instead looked along the horizon. His head turned, as if examining the landscape, until he stopped and pointed off into the distance. "There," Shadow Link told Vio. Vio followed where Shadow Link was looking to find a small tower in the distance, illuminated by the sunlight to make it look like it was shining a brilliant golden color.

"That's where the last Grim Sol is?" Vio asked, peering at the bright structure.

"Seems so, yeah." Shadow Link replied.

"Then let's get moving." They began walking towards the golden tower, the thought of obtaining the last Grim Sol spinning around in their heads. The closer they got to it, the more suspicious Vio became. When getting to the last two towers, he nearly lost his life both times. And here he is now, going to get the very last and most dangerous Grim Sol, simply walking along the flat surface of the canyon. Though he kept a good distance from the rocky edge, Vio was cautious of where he placed his next steps, frightened of falling down into that small stream that was so far down. Looking up, Vio could see that Shadow Link was demonstrating a similar vigilance. He seemed to have an identical sense of danger as Vio had from the strange and out-of-placed calmness. But, nonetheless, the Grim Sol was not going to awaken itself, and the two pressed onward until the large tower came into sight.

A golden tower, shining like a second sun in the bright light, loomed over them. Vio had to squint to even look at it. With a glance at Shadow Link, who gave Vio a nod, Vio entered the tower, surprisingly unscathed. The tower was as beautiful as the first two, with high walls made of a golden colored crystal and stained glass windows depicting a bright sun. Inside, the sunlight that streamed in made the interior incredibly warm. The red carpet that they walked on was laced with a golden thread on the side, and at the end of the carpet was a pedestal of a golden hue. On top of that pedestal was the very last Grim Sol they had come for, perched on a red cushion. Vio and Shadow Link excitedly approached the pedestal, eager to take the Grim Sol.

"I seek to awaken you from your slumber." Vio told the Sol.

"Thee who wish to curse thy eyes with sight of the fallen, present thy forfeit." The mystical voice that came from the glowing Grim Sol filled the light tower. Like before, Vio held his hand out, and the odd lightning that erupted from the Sol struck his outstretched hand. But as the light returned to the Grim Sol, another burst of light came out of it. This time, rather landing on his hand, it went straight for Vio's eyes. And not only his, but Shadow Link's as well. Vio felt his eyes burn in the bright light and he tried to close his eyes, but something was keeping them open.

"Thee hast blighted thy eyes with the ken of the dead. Use thy virtue with enlightened knowledge." The Grim Sol ended with the same line as the light returned to it's point of origin. Vio blinked, trying to get the afterimage of the bright light out of his eyes. He looked over and tried to make out Shadow Link through the blob of color he was seeing from the flash that came from the Grim Sol, realizing he was having trouble seeing as well.

"That's new," Shadow Link grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Ok, now that we have all the Grim Sols, we should be able to see ghosts. Let's get out of here and look for that Great Fairy."

"Yeah," Vio agreed, and picked up the Grim Sol. He turned and went to place it in his pouch when he realized it was missing. "Ah, where... Did I leave it at home?" He mumbled, looking around as if to find it on the floor. "I guess I'll just hold it then." The two left the tower without looking back. Their pace was quicker leaving than it was when they were journeying to the tower. With every step they took, they were getting closer to leaving, closer to getting to the Great Fairy of Wind, and closer to the ultimate weapon.

As they ran, neither Vio nor Shadow Link noticed the shaking in the ground as they continued onward. They only noticed when rocks and pebbles around them started to bounce and vibrate from the shaking. The two of them froze, looking around in confusion.

"What's going on?" Vio wondered, trying to keep his balance against the shaking ground.

"I don't kn-" Shadow Link didn't get a chance to finish what he had to say as the vibration increased, making him fall to his knees. Vio stared in shock at the ground as it started to split in two before them, revealing a large chasm.

"Come on, we've gotta get out of here!" Vio told Shadow Link as he got to his feet. The two started to run, jumping the small splits in the ground as they appeared, and dashing around the ones that became too large. They managed to get a fair distance away from the tower, and as Vio kept running, Shadow Link came to a sudden halt.

"Wait," He called, "Where are we supposed to go? The tunnel we took to get here is gone!" At this, Vio stopped in his tracks, and turned to look at Shadow Link. With the sudden realization that he forgot it was gone along with the thoughts of what they were going to do, Vio had paused long enough for a fissure to crack underneath him. He looked down, but as his brain registered the need to run, the chasm had opened, making Vio plummet down into the dark, rocky fissure.

Vio heard Shadow Link call for him as he fell down, further and further. He tried to brace himself for impact onto the tight parting the fissure made, but the pain of falling never came. Opening his eyes, Vio saw that he was lying in the bottom of the chasm. Somehow, he was laying in on a flat surface. He stood up, surprised to see that the shaking had stopped, the Grim Sol still clutched tightly in his fist, and looked up. Far above him was a faint light from the sun, and a small black blob he assumed to be Shadow Link. The tall rocky walls soared high beside him, and at the very end of the fissure was a small tunnel. Confused, Vio ran across the small pathway made by the parting rocks, and examined the tunnel. A small breeze was coming through. The same faint breeze that had came out of the tree stump they pushed over to get to the canyon. Vio didn't let the breeze have a chance to reverse and pull him in. He ran away from it, and went towards the small blob that was Shadow Link.

"Hey!" Vio called. "Jump down, I found the way out!" This was greeted with silence. He heard something that sounded like a shout from Shadow Link, but it was too quiet for him to hear.

"What?" Vio said, then shouted, "I found the way out, JUMP DOWN!" again.

"WHAT?!" Vio heard Shadow Link call faintly. He sighed. _This isn't working._

_I know, I can barely hear you_. Vio heard Shadow Link say in his head.

_Oh! Why didn't I think of that? I'll just tell you through my thoughts!_ Vio realized.

_I thought you were supposed to be the smart one._

_We're getting off topic. _Vio frowned. _Look, just jump down, I found the way out!_ He told Shadow Link.

_Seriously? _Vio could hear the unsure tone of Shadow Link in his head. _Yeah. I fell, and I'm still ok._ Vio thought. _Just jump. _Silence fell once again. He saw Shadow Link's small shape disappear, and reappear in a dash. He ran towards the edge of the chasm, and jumped down. Vio watched him fall down until he reached the bottom, slow to a stop, and land gracefully on his feet.

"Wow, that was weird." Shadow Link said, surprise in his voice. "Ok, so where's the tunnel?"

"Right over here," Vio said, already walking back towards the small tunnel. The two stood by the dirt tunnel as the small breeze blowing out at them reversed, pulling them both in a current of fast winds.

They were thrown through the tunnel fairly quickly, and escaped at the end of the passage without a scratch. It was surprisingly safe, compared to the other tunnels they had passed through. They were back at the grassy swamp area with the bright Moon Gate glowing before them.

After sharing a glance, they headed out of the Dark World, not bothering to notice that the tunnel that had taken them there had disappeared as well. Vio walked back into the World of Light, seeing Shadow Link return to his shadow as he did so. He ran to the house, not knowing that he was in danger because of the people he would least suspect.


End file.
